Suscepit
by prophet-of-troy
Summary: They had planned, hoped, for third year to be different. A year they aren't faced with horrors going beyond their age and experience. That doesn't last long with an escaped convict after Harry, a werewolf as a teacher, and a letter from Hermione's birth father that she never knew she had.
1. Unum

Chapter one: Unum

She supposed it started when she was a child, though, she never thought that term applied to her. From her earliest memories at the age of five, she could remember being self reliant. Her parents were often busy with their dental practice and attending expos and such, that she was often on her own with a babysitter who was more preoccupied with hogging the telly or ringing up her friends than entertaining a bushy haired little girl. That didn't matter though, she preferred her fairy tale books to any cartoon she'd find. And it didn't matter that she had no one in the way of friends, the characters in her books were much kinder and far more interesting.

Her first bought of accidental magic was at the age of seven, she remembered quite clearly- down to the smell of the dying fire mingling with the ever present scent of the old tomes and texts found in her father's study. She wasn't supposed to be there and if her parents, and not the newly single and angsty Rebecca, was there- she'd have her hide tanned for sure. But, she really hadn't _meant_ to eat all of the cookies their cook had made. Her book had entered a very tense part and she just kept absent-mindedly shoveling the sweets into her mouth, despite the very strict policy her parents had on such things. She certainly hadn't meant to be caught doing so and her favorite book be taken away for ruining her dinner.

So it brought her to Father's study, where she had hoped to find the thing placed on his desk, or even on the mantle where she could easily grab it if she jumped from her tip toes. She hadn't expected to see it on one of the highest shelves that even Mother had to stretch to reach. She could have cried, and almost did, when it happened and the precious book floated down to her as if carried by some imaginary being. She remembered holding it to her small frame tightly and looking around with glassy eyes. And whispering, "Thank you", as soft as she dared into the empty air.

Things happened much more frequently after that; boils on a boy in her class teasing her teeth, glass breaking when she cried over a badly skinned knee, her celery disappearing into thin air after her parents tried to make her eat it. At first, it was a joke. A laughing way to blame everything on it. Oh, you can't find the keys? Must be Mia's magic. No traffic on the way to work? Thanks, Mia. Rebecca sick with the flu? Mia must want us to stay home. Then it got to a point where none of them were sure if it was a joke anymore.

It was a godsend when Professor McGonagall came to them when she was eleven, with an outrageous tale of a school in a castle- witches and wizards and magic. Then she started to explain things better and it all started to make sense. She could remember the cautious conversation her parents seemed to have with a short exchange of looks. They insisted she leave the room while they talked to the professor in private. Afterwards, Professor McGonagall gave her looks from the corner of her eye.

Ron and Harry had saved her from more than just a troll that Halloween, though she didn't realize it until later. They saved her from becoming so obsessed with her books that she just disappeared into one. As if she had never been there at all.

Her parents tried to understand 'her world', tried not to get too confused when she told them about the ghosts and the talking portraits. About the strange lessons she told them about; floating feathers, people turning into animals, mandrakes, pixies! They struggled to keep up, but never stopped trying for her. Though, in her second year the letters became stilted. When she came home during the summer she could hear her parents arguing down the hall when they thought she was sleeping. Tension rose in the house, though never at her, and she didn't even know why. Until they sat her down shortly before her annual descent into 'her world'.

*

It had been a sunny day, one that Harry or Ron might have said was perfect for Quidditch with its forget-me-not sky and marshmallow clouds. The warm breeze brought with it a sweet scent with the hint of honeysuckle, and she was able to catch the smell of it through the open window that blew the thin red curtains around mildly. But she wasn't thinking of the wind, or the perfect Quidditch sky, or even Harry and the trouble she and Ron would no doubt follow him into in the coming school year. She found herself sitting across from her parents, as they told her they weren't.

"W-what are you talking about?" She knew very well that her voice had come out loud and wavering, but she didn't care. And they didn't reprimand her for it.

Her 'mother' squeezed her 'father's' hand tighter and glanced at him nervously. "You were adopted," he told her calmly.

"Yes," she snarled uncharacteristically. "I understood that the first time you said it. Why, why have you never told me?"

As soon as she said it, she mentally cringed at herself. They hadn't told her because she was still a child. What age would someone normally tell their child they were adopted? She supposed her age of thirteen was as good as any. She tried to calm herself down, blinking back her tears that threatened to leave her eyes.

"We couldn't have children," her father, he was still her father no matter what, tried to explain. "That's when we found you. Or, rather, you found us. Your real father was bringing you to the orphanage just as we had made the decision to go, and you seemed perfect for us. You were just over two years old."

"Why was- why was he giving me away?" That was a stupid question, she told herself after it escaped her lips. It didn't matter why, the Grangers were her family.

"He loved you," her mother said. "He was trying not to cry and you didn't want to leave him. He told us there had been a major death and he was in no position to take care of you himself. It was hard to watch actually, him saying good bye to you. He asked that if we ever told you you were adopted that you knew he loved you and that he was always thinking of you."

She shook her head, the tears falling. This wasn't what she had expected when they told her they had something they needed to talk to her about. This wasn't how she had seen the day going when she wrote her letter to Harry that morning.

"Can you tell me anything about him?" She asked. "Or about my mother?"

"You look like him," her father said. "He had the same nose. He said your middle name was Elara, we changed that but we kept your first name."

Hermione Elara. "What was his name?"

"Lupin," her mother said, seemingly glad the she had calmed down. "He said it was Remus Lupin."

Hermione Elara Lupin. That was the name she was born with. She frowned, standing up from the couch and shaking her head. "I-I need space," she said. "I have to owl Harry or something."

Her mother stood up with her and pulled her into a hug that Hermione was somewhat hesitant to return, but she did in an awkward motion. She was the first one to pull away and slowly, as if in some sort of daze, turn towards the stairs that led to her room. Her father stopped her.

"There's a letter," he called, making her feet stop in place and she looked back to the old paper in his hands. Then she frowned as she took it from him, rolled up and tied with a red ribbon.

"It's parchment," she said aloud, rubbing her thumb on it. She pulled the ribbon off of it and unrolled it. "And he used a quill."

"Do you think he's, you know, from _your_ world?" Her world, the Wizarding World. She supposed that was the better alternative to some Muggle parents calling theirs the _real_ world, thinking of the Wizarding World as some fantasy. Yes, she did think he was from her world. She would by the parchment or quill alone, but together, yes of course she did.

 _Dearest Hermione,_

 _This letter may never find you, but I have to write it anyway. I have to try at least, to explain. I love you. I can promise, no matter how old you are when you read this, that I am thinking of you everyday. But there are wolves in the world, my little love._

 _I have no doubt that by this time you will have learned of your magic, you may even be attending my old school of Hogwarts. And you'll know of the war that occurred. I lost everything in that war, little love. I lost every friend I had ever known, my home, and the only man I've ever loved. I couldn't take care of you, having no means, nowhere to go, no one to turn to, and I was too caught up in my grief. I'm sorry to have failed you, but I made sure your new family would be kind people._

 _I want you to know that should you ever want to find me, though I'll understand if you don't, I'll be glad for it. Take this letter to a man named Albus Dumbledore. He'll help you. But even if you hate me, know that I love you, and with all of your father's faults he must have too. You were the best parts of us both._

 _Love always, Papa._

Hermione didn't know how to feel, running upstairs with the letter in hand, shutting the door a bit louder than necessary, and leaning against it to cry. This morning, she'd woken up with a comfortable, heart swelling contentment at the feeling of the warm sunlight on her face- streaming through her always open window. She had known who she was, known more or less where she stood in the world, what she wanted out of it. Now she wasn't sure. She was still Hermione. No matter what the rest of her name was, she would always be Hermione, she still knew that much at least. But, she was caught between wanting to forget about this letter- and using it to find her father. Or rather, fathers?

He was obviously upset about having to leave her. If he wasn't, why bother with such a letter at all? She deserved to see him, to meet him, to know.

*

Her parents understood when she told them that she needed space. That she wasn't angry at them, and she still loved them, but that she needed to think about the letter and how she wanted to proceed. She hadn't told Harry and Ron, not being able to find the words in order to pen them in a letter. It was too much to explain any way other than in person, but felt a knot in her throat at the thought of sitting them down to tell them about it.

It was fortuitous that they would be preoccupied with Harry, and she was thankful to have something to do other than mope and read that worn letter again. Sirius Black, it was intriguing, she thought, that the Wizarding World would reach out to the Muggle World for help with hunting down a criminal. But then, she supposed if it posed a threat to the Boy-Who-Lived, there wasn't really a question. She wondered how often they did that, but no one had ever escaped Azkaban before so maybe not.

The night before they boarded the train, Hermione decided that if she didn't sit them down and tell them now- she wouldn't ever. So she, Ron and Harry sat down in a triangle on the bed in Harry's room so she could tell them. At first, they just stared at her with concerned eyes as she tried to think of how to say it. In the end, it just sort of fell out really.

"I'm adopted," she said. Whatever they had been expecting her to say, that wasn't it. She recognized the looks on their faces as close to when they had been faced with that giant che _s_ s board first year. Neither of them said anything though, and after a few uncomfortable moments of silence- she told them everything. Her parents and the letter came spewing from her mouth like pumpkin juice after a terrible shock. Her hands flew wildly as she talked, starting with the first sentence, and ending with the fact that he sounded to have been on Dumbledore's side in the war.

"I'm going to Dumbledore," she told them. "First thing when we get to Hogwarts, after the feast. I'm still not sure how to feel, but I have to know him. He may have given me away, but after reading the letter, I just can't hate him for it. He let me have a life, and I love my family."

"We'll come with you," Harry said, his green eyes boring into hers. "After the Feast we can use my dad's cloak."

"Well," Ron said with shrug. "It will be an interesting year for sure. Hermione finding her birth father, Harry having a murderous raving lunatic after him, a school year that will likely end with us running for our lives at some point. At least Hogwarts is consistent."

They fell asleep all in Harry's room, in a pile of arms and messy hair that made Mrs. Weasley shriek at the impropriety of it- even if there was nothing wrong with it. Hermione was in the middle, laying on Ron's outstretched arm with Harry's thrown over her waist and Crookshanks curled on top of her feet.

Then it was a rush of getting things together last minute and running through the train station, not stopping at the barrier. Merlin help them if they're late. Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let it go next year, and she was already insane on September first. So they all boarded the train just in time, wandering around in hopes of finding a compartment as the train began to move.

*

"Let's sit here," Hermione suggested, glancing down the crowded corridor with Crookshanks in her arms. "Everywhere else appears to be full."

Harry nodded absently and slid the compartment door open to find a man huddled asleep in the corner. It was strange, as they had never seen an adult on the train aside from the conductor and the woman that pushed the treat trolley. The first thought she had, was that she knew him. His face, though partially covered by the cloak he used as a blanket, seemed to strike a memory somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind. Like a dream. Or a dream of a dream.

Her second thought, was that he looked very tired and worn out as though he had had the world bearing down on him for too long and this was just a short reprieve. Though his face was young, it looked haunted even in sleep. His sandy brown hair was prematurely streaked with gray, scars played tag on his face with long, somewhat jagged cuts, and even the cloak that he clutched to himself subconsciously looked just as worse for wear as he did- with patches haphazardly sewn into moth eaten holes. She felt the over whelming urge to cover him up with something more substantial as that cloak obviously wasn't doing much for him at all, judging by the trembles going through his body that you almost couldn't see unless you squinted.

"Who d'you reckon that is?" Ron asked too loud, his voice filling the small compartment. Hermione nudged him sharply with the back of her hand and nodded to the poor man in the corner. The person in question stirred slightly, a small frown forming on his face and his brow twitching into a troubled expression.

"Don't wake him up," she scolded in a whisper. "He looks like he could use a good sleep."

Ron glared at her. "Who d'you reckon that is?" He repeated in a somewhat quieter voice.

She rolled her eyes and looked up towards where his trunk might be, instead finding an old Muggle suitcase just as moth eaten and shabby as his cloak. But that wasn't what made her freeze as though she'd been petrified again. On the suitcase were peeling letters that almost blended in to the rest of the material. Professor R. J. Lupin. She felt someone, Ron probably, nudge her to see if she was okay. But she couldn't move. She was petrified.

Lupin, that was the name she had of her father- the one that wrote the letter, that is. Remus Lupin. It couldn't possibly be the same one, could it? That went beyond even the irony in the Wizarding World. Did he know she was there?

She was brought out of her mind by Harry shaking her gently. She blinked and looked to him, trying to get rid of the dry feeling suddenly happening in her mouth. He looked concerned for her. 'Are you okay?' She didn't hear anything but the ringing in her ears, but she did see his lips form the words.

"What?" She asked once she found her voice.

"Are you okay?" He asked again.

Hermione nodded dumbly, glancing back to the letters. Harry's gaze followed hers and then he turned around to get a better look, his shoulders slumping in resignation at the irony the three of them were so often subject to. "Bloody hell. Isn't that-"

"Remus Lupin," she answered with a nod.

Ron caught on, looking to where they were staring with an incredulous look of his own. He sighed as well, as if thinking the same thing. Would they ever come to Hogwarts without something like this? "Think he's really asleep?" Ron asked.

"Seems to be," she heard herself say.

Harry sat down across from the man, she wasn't really sure what to call him, still staring. "He looks like you," he said. "Same nose."

The three of them sat like that, staring at him while the man slept without knowing he was the object of such scrutiny. Even in his sleep, he looked sad and sort of pathetic. He didn't move after their initial entrance, sleeping heavily as though he hadn't been able to do so in some time. None of them said anything as the train kept going, the sun steadily making its descent.

"I want to wake him up," she whispered, not taking her eyes away from him.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see both boys nodding slowly and Hermione stood on shaky legs, taking a step forward. He moved, and she froze- her hand stretched out somewhat in anticipation of shaking him slightly. Harry grabbed her other hand to stop her when he moved around in his sleep. She held her breath while he settled and went to reach out again. When the lights went out.

A shriek escaped her lips, the sudden darkness startling her. Harry's grip on her hand tightened and she felt new hands on her other, too warm to be Ron's ever cold and clammy palms. Her father's.

"Are you okay?" His voice asked, just as warm as his hands and dripping with concern.

"Hermione?" Harry asked behind her, spurring her to answer.

"I'm fine," she said quietly, her breath shining in the moonlight through the window.

It had suddenly got cold. There was a squeal of brakes, a jolt through the train, and Hermione almost fell- only to be steadied by her father. _No_ , she told herself. _You haven't even spoken to him, stop thinking like that._ Daniel Granger was her father. Remus Lupin was just... her father.

A light shined from the tip of the man's wand as he stood up. His face transformed when he was conscious, she discovered. It was still the same face. The same scars, the same nose Harry said they shared, but his jaw and eyes- that were blue- were set in a very determined way that she sort of recognized as her own. He wasn't looking at her, as the door behind her opened slowly. Harry, she could feel his presence, went rigid. His body trembled and he jerked out of his seat to the floor of the compartment.

"None of us are hiding Sirius Black under our robes," her father spoke firmly to something, though she wasn't sure what as a sort of heavy depression fell over her.

He didn't even look at her, an insecure voice told her in the back of her mind- that oddly sounded remarkably like Professor Snape. He didn't care that she was his daughter, he hadn't cared when he gave her away either. The Grangers could have been abusive for all he knew, but he just handed her over without a second thought. The letter even admitted that he didn't think she'd get it. So why write it?

 _No,_ she tried to argue against it. _He must not have realized who I was. His letter said-_

He had to have been lying. No one wanted a bushy haired, buck toothed know-it-all like her. Harry and Ron were only friends because they felt obligated after her helping them in the first year. They needed her to do their homework, to know the answer when something tried to kill them, to have someone to laugh at behind her back. They didn't care about her. Her parents told her she was adopted in hopes of her leaving and not coming back. She was a freak to them.

 _"_ _Papa, no go!" She tried to reach out to him, her short arms not quite reaching._

 _His blue eyes shone with unspilled tears. "I'm sorry, little love. I can't take care of you. I love you so much. Papa loves you so much. Daddy loved you so much. Don't forget, little love. Don't forget me."_

A bright light nearly blinded her as a whispy, silvery blue mist formed a giant dog- chasing something away. Suddenly, the cold, the unwarranted thoughts, and that strange memory left and the man slammed the compartment door shut behind them. Hermione slumped in exhaustion, immediately going to Harry's side as he was still laying down passed out.

"Harry?" She asked tentatively.

"He'll come around shortly," the man told her gently. "Here, eat this."

She looked over to see his scarred hand holding out a brick of chocolate. She took it carefully, looking up with the scene she had seen still fresh in her mind. He smiled at her. "It's okay," he said, mistaking her look for hesitance and suspicion. "It's just chocolate. It will make you feel better."

"You're Remus Lupin," she said instead of eating it.

A flicker of something passed his face and he frowned. "Yes. I am."

Harry stirred, calling her name softly as he tried to sit up. Hermione looked down, handing him his glasses that had fallen from his face. She looked back to her father as Harry rubbed his eyes, to see the realization setting in.

*

He left after that, to speak with the driver he told them, but he walked away rather quickly. Hermione was fairly quiet during the carriage ride to the castle, and during the feast- picking at her food rather than eating it. She clapped dutifully when the headmaster introduced her father to the school, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. It was just her luck. She wondered who all knew that she was his daughter. Professor Dumbledore, that man knew everything, Professor McGonagall, she glanced to Hermione during her father's introduction, and possibly Professor Flitwick.

"I need to borrow your cloak," she whispered to Harry on their way to the dorms. "I have to talk to him."

He nodded and she waited in the Common Room while he went to retrieve it. It wasn't like her to be out after dark, after curfew. She didn't even know where she was going, following her feet towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Surely his quarters would have to be around here somewhere. Maybe one of the portraits would help her. Then, a light shined and she held her breath through Professor Snape and his sweeping robes, striding down the corridor and past her. Then he stopped.

"The portrait of the black dog," he said in a low voice. Hermione didn't move. "And ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger. Perhaps next time you should try not to marinade in body lotion one could smell across grounds."

Hermione's face burned red. She hadn't thought, wringing her hands in her favorite lotion nervously as she waited for the cloak. She didn't say anything, and Professor Snape kept walking. She hadn't expected that. He didn't give her detention. He didn't scold her. He wasn't even all that rude considering what he was usually like. Only ten points? There were lessons he took twice that from Harry within the first five minutes. But she tried not to question it too much, following his directions to a portrait she knew she had never seen before around the castle. A large, shaggy dog bounding within the frame happily- shooting her a mischievous look. She'd swear the thing grinned at her.

He opened the door almost as soon as she knocked, staring at her as she had already slipped the Invisibility Cloak off. They didn't say anything as he stepped aside for her to come in. There was a roaring fire, but with her sweaty palms it made the room seem too hot, too stuffy, too small. Two mugs sat on the coffee table in front of the fire place, a book laid open face down next to one of them, and overall the room smelled like chocolate and old parchment with some strange hint of pine. It was very comforting, despite her vainly wishing it weren't.

"I suppose this means they've told you, maybe given you my letter?"

She turned back to him, holding the Invisibility Cloak in her arms like an anchor to keep her mind from going off. "This summer," she answered his question.

He nodded, mostly to himself. "I made you some hot chocolate. I don't know if you like hot chocolate, but you used to."

So that's what had been in the mugs. She glanced back to them, nodding her answer. He went over to an arm chair, cautiously sitting down with a hand motion for her to take a seat on the sofa across from him. The air was filled with a heavy, suffocating, tension that made her try to take bigger breaths in order to breathe. But she sat down, stiffly on the edge of her seat with no movement to take the offered mug. She loved hot chocolate.

"How did you know I was coming?"

He gave a sad, nostalgic smile that wasn't a smile- his head moving somewhat to the side. "You're our daughter," he said quietly. "You didn't take as long as I would have in your shoes, but weren't here as soon as he would have been."

"My other father?" She clarified. He nodded. "What was his name?"

He flinched and she felt bad for asking, immediately wanting to take it back. But she couldn't, so she reached out and brought the warm mug to her lips in a hopeful sign of apology. It didn't matter. He didn't answer anyway.

"You're friends with Harry," he said. Hermione just nodded. "We were very close with his parents. They were my best friends. James used to joke that you two would get married one day, but your father always grumbled at it."

She remembered in his letter, mentioning losing all of his old friends. Harry's parents knew hers. They had known each other as babies. Harry, she knew, would definitely have questions. Her face burned at the thought of Harry and she together as his father had apparently teased.

"Did you ever plan to find me again?" She asked in a small voice.

"No."

The word seemed to echo, but at the same time it was so definitive. Maybe it was the feeling that imploded through the room with it, like the anticlimactic cut off in a score of dramatic music that just kept getting louder and louder before disappearing all at once. It hit her in the chest and made all the air leave her body in one short exhale. She knew it.

Hermione brought herself to her feet, feeling as though she might collapse. But she took a few steps. "I need to get back to Gryffindor Tower," she said sharply. "It's late."

She felt him stand.

"Wait, let me explain."

She didn't move.

"I wanted you to be taken care of," he said in a desperate voice. "And happy, I wanted you to be happy. I didn't want to ruin any happiness you might have had by barging into your life again. And I didn't expect to run into you somewhere. I never expected to see you again, but not because I didn't want to. I have thought about you everyday."

Hermione turned to him, her left foot still angled towards the door to leave. "Do you want to be in my life? Or are you saying that now because I confronted you?"

He took two steps and hugged her tightly.

 **A/N: Whew! Let me just say, that I LOVE stories where Hermione finds out she's adopted- usually being the daughter of a Marauder, Snape, McGonagall, even Dumbledore! In fact, if you have any such stories you would recommend, let me know in the towel section. Let me know what you thought of this. I like it, but I might be biased. Dasvidanya, Mia.**

P.S. I am open to pairing suggestions with Hermione. I am between Severus Snape, and Harry. Let me know!


	2. Duo

Chapter two: Duo

Harry and Ron were waiting for her when she finally made her way back to the Common Room. They immediately sat her down and asked her how it had gone. She held back what had happened with Professor Snape, thinking it rather private and secret just for her, but told them about him. They had talked well into the night, agreeing that she would come by often for them to talk. He had asked her a few strange questions, whether she had temper problems or nightmares or anything out of the usual. She had asked him the same; what House her other father had been in, whether she looked like him, what their birthdays were.

"You remind me so much of how he used to be when we were in Hogwarts," he had said. "You look much more like me than you do him, but you have his curls and no doubt his impossible hair. I don't know how he figured out to tame it."

Though he had told her that, and he had said other things about him, she got the feeling that he didn't want to talk about him. She felt guilty for asking him so many questions, and stopped when he refused to tell her his name. She knew she could probably figure it out, but something about the heartbroken look on his face made her promise herself she wouldn't.

He told her a small bit about Harry's parents, how Lily had resisted him at first and James falling in love on their first meeting. He told her about his grades and the electives he took. He asked her about hers and then both commended her on taking so many, and expressed concern that it was _too_ many. He told her that Professor McGonagall must like her more than him because she would never have allowed that. Hermione told Harry about his parents and her father's offer to tell him about them sometime.

"What do you call him?" Ron asked.

She and Harry were sitting fairly close to each other on the floor, with Ron across from them. She tried not to think about their proximity, but felt her heart pounded faster when she looked up at her friend's question.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Ron motioned to her, where she was holding hands with Harry and not even having noticed that she'd done so. "Well, she's got a dad, yeah? So what's she gonna call him? Just Professor Lupin?"

"He says I used to call him Papa, and my other father Daddy. To be honest, I never called my adopted father 'Dad'. I used to call him Dada, but in my favorite book as a kid the girl called her father Mo, so that's what I've called him since I was seven."

"So, are you gonna start calling Lupin that? Papa?"

Hermione looked down at her and Harry's joined hands, not really looking at them as Harry rubbed his thumb over the back of hers. "I don't know," she said. "I'd like to. Do you think he would mind?"

"Honestly," Harry said, "It seems like he's just happy having you back. He'd probably love for you to call him that, but I doubt he'd force it or anything. Just let it come naturally."

How was it that he always knew exactly what to say?

* * *

Remus stared into the empty classroom, sitting at a desk and thinking to himself about nothing in particular. And everything in particular. It was strange how odd it sounded to say, but easy to do and came with remarkable regularity. He had his daughter back, Hermione. She was better than he had imagined, and he had thought of her everyday. She definitely had his inquisitive nature, and if McGonagall was to be believed, Sirius' propensity for trouble.

How amusing it was that she was best friends with James and Lily's boy, Harry. They should have grown up together. She had his nose, and Sirius' smile. Her grades, he was impressed with the idea of her taking as many classes as she was and was worried if he were to be honest. There was a reason McGonagall had refused to let him take as many as he had wanted, ironically almost the exact ones as Hermione. He had taken as many as were allowed him and he had still nearly burned himself out, but he just got her back and she still wasn't really his. It wasn't his place.

A thought came to him. Would she tell her adoptive parents? Should he personally write them a letter? They did a much better job than he was sure he could do. Was he wrong to keep the truth about Sirius from her? No. He had to believe that she was better off thinking a nameless father was dead than Sirius Black, escaped convict. She would be safe and they would find Sirius, but that brought to mind another issue. Dumbledore. Remus should tell him about Sirius.

"Are you sulking?" He jumped and turned around in his chair to see Snape. "Because I can come back."

He sighed at his anxiety. "No, no, I apologize. What is it?"

It was amusing, how little Severus had changed since the last time Remus had seen him, but how opposite he was to when they were children. He had only just taken the job of Potions professor the last time they spoke, if you could call it that. It was right after Harry was born and he, James, and Sirius were in Hogsmeade to speak to Dumbledore- Peter was home with his sick father- it ended in shouting mostly.

When they were children, Severus smiled, and never so much as when Lily was talking. Remus could still remember the two of them sitting under a tree near the Black Lake, Lily's hands rushing around in a display while she spoke with a grin on her face. Remus remembered Hermione doing that while they talked and he asked her about Harry and Ron. He still didn't know much about Ron with Harry being the topic she chose.

"The headmaster wishes to be sure you will keep an eye out for them with your lover on the rampage," Remus winced at the term, "and that you come to me seven days before each full moon."

"Yes," he said. "Thank you, Severus, for making it. I understand it's supposed to be a bit of a feat."

The idea of Sirius being his lover hurt in more ways than one. He had been so much more at the time. He was _still_ much more than that. The thought slapped Remus with guilt, thinking that he still missed him. He still missed Sirius' smile, the light that glittered in his eyes when they were doing something they shouldn't. Moony still howled for his mate, tearing his own flesh when his calls remained unanswered. At least now, he had Hermione and maybe such thoughts could finally be banished.

Severus seemed to straighten at the vague praise. "Yes," he said. "I suggest you keep your head clear. If I think even for a moment that you are helping Black, and your daughter is the only reason I don't already, I will act accordingly. Am I clear?"

Remus bristled at the threat, his eyes flashing gold, but he gritted his teeth to keep his control. "Do not threaten me, Severus. It won't end well. I am not, nor would I ever help Sirius so long as he poses a threat to Hermione and Harry. Am _I_ clear?"

They stared at each other menacingly, and even though he was sitting while the other stood, Remus was not intimidated. After a few minutes, the other man blinked and it was over. Remus' kind, and slightly taunting, smile returned and he sat back.

"Was there anything else, Severus?"

The man's face twisted up into a glare that Remus supposed probably terrified most people and swept out of the room with, admittedly impressive cloak motions dragging behind him. It helped Remus get out of his deep thoughts, the short interaction with him, and sent him into others. McGonagall had known from Hermione's first year whose daughter she was. Had Severus? Remus would be surprised if he didn't. He wondered why the man had said that, 'if it wasn't for your daughter'.

There was a knock on the open door and Remus turned, not having stood yet, to find his daughter and her friends. It was frightening how much Harry looked like James, and Remus at times found him hard to look at. Hermione, had Remus' mother's eyes- neither his nor Sirius'- which he found something of a blessing. It was bad enough Remus still found himself in love with Sirius, he didn't need to see the man's eyes everyday as a reminder.

"Hermione," he smiled as he stood up. He had seen her at breakfast, going back to his own classroom for his first class.

He doubted she knew just how much it meant to him, that she hugged him. He hugged her back, pleasantly surprised and not wanting to let go again. "Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," he replied. "These must be Ron and Harry. I'm afraid we weren't properly introduced before. Please, just call me Remus outside of class."

Ron waved with an awkward smile, and Harry smiled a bit more genuinely. "Mione says you knew my parents."

"Yes. They were my best friends, though I admit to being closer to James. I swear you look just like him. Except your eyes, they're Lily's." They were. He felt like if his eyes stopped focusing, and his peripheral vision was blurred, he would swear he were looking at her. "Are you three off to your first class?"

He didn't hear what their answer was as his eyes caught on a chain around Hermione's neck. He had never seen one in person, only rough sketches in text books and journals; a time turner. He couldn't believe it, of all the ridiculous notions! McGonagall had given her a time turner and that was how she was able to take all of those classes. If he recalled, the Transfiguration teacher had nearly smacked him when he had suggested it in a cheeky, teasing sort of way.

"You know," he said, tentatively interrupting Harry talking about Hagrid. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot that I needed to ask Professor McGonagall something. How about the three of you come by my quarters after classes?"

After their answer, some sort of mumbled agreement, he walked rather briskly towards his old Head of House office. He was mostly sure she had a free period right now as well, having done so specifically in case he needed anything during his. At the time she told him this, he felt embarrassed the way he always did when someone did something like that, but now he was thankful.

Coming to the hard oak of her office door, he was amused thinking back to fourth year when James and Sirius thought it would be fun to add a cat flap into the bottom of it. She had kept it, despite the detention and point loss in punishment, at least until the Marauders left school. Something broke deep inside his heart when he looked and it was gone, much like the Marauders.

"It's still there," a voice said behind him.

Remus turned around, surprised someone had succeeded in sneaking up on him. As children it had been a game to Sirius and James and Peter. Who could scare Moony? Who could make him jump?Only Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had ever done it, the latter standing in front of him now. She motioned to the closed door and she held books from the library in her arms.

"The flap is still there, just charmed. I didn't want to encourage others, but I found that I liked the convenience it provided."

She removed the glamour and he smiled at the familiar sight. He remembered Sirius hiding catnip under her desk and around the classroom, but was unaware at the time of Remus hiding it in Sirius' shirt pockets. He'd been known to have his own fun.

"Now," McGonagall said. "I assume you came about your daughter?"

Remus liked the sound of that. His daughter. He'd missed her helplessly. "Yes. I wanted to know what could have possessed you to give a thirteen year old, my _daughter_ as you pointed out, a time turner. She'll burn herself out within the first week!"

The woman pursed her lips at him. "I think I know her capabilities a bit more than you, Mr. Lupin. She's far too stubborn, worse than you or Sirius ever were, for that to happen. As it is, however, I agree with you. This was not my decision, it was Albus'."

With that, she cut him- a grown man, mind you- down to size and feeling like a student again. A young one. Like a first year. He shrugged sheepishly. "Why would Dumbledore do that?"

"I don't know," she said. "But he refused to say anything more on the matter."

Of course he did.

* * *

Hermione was fuming by the time they made their way to the dog portrait that hid her father's chambers. How dare that-that-that _fraud_ tell her Harry he was going to die! It was an outrage! And how dare Ron and Lavender and the others for encouraging it when Professor McGonagall expressly told them it was a load of rubbish. Then Malfoy embarrassing Hagrid in his first lesson like that? Hagrid was an innocent, which showed in the way he worried over the Slytherin.

Of course, Hermione would admit to being very cautious at the idea of Harry on the beast. Suppose Buckbeak had hurled him off? Or Harry had lost his grip over the Black Lake, at just the height that the water's impact would kill him? She'd be forced to use her Time Turner to save him and possibly ripping a whole in the timeline and the universe, killing everyone she knew and loved and breaking her promise to Professor McGonagall. As it happened, it was unneeded- but she was very glad she didn't have to do that. The only good thing that had happened so far was her Arithmancy class, which had happened during Divination and she thought would very easily become her favorite.

She was very careful to keep a detailed journal hour by hour to avoid the scene of there being two of her in the same place. This included which hallways she took and what not, which was proving to be rather exhausting by itself.

"It's a Grim," Ron squeaked, pointing to the dog with a happily wagging tail.

Hermione rolled her eyes and knocked smartly on the frame. "Yes, Ronald. It looks absolutely terrifying."

"How can you not care?" He asked angrily. "Harry could only have days left, and you're not worried at all! You just think it's a big joke."

"I think Harry has proven himself," she said in a huff. "If he can face Voldemort three times, not to mention a troll, Fluffy, and a basilisk, I think he can live through that ridiculous nonsense."

There was a soft chuckling and they turned to find Remus leaning against the portrait entrance with a small smile that said he was out of the habit of using it. "That sounds like a very interesting story," he said. "You'll have to tell me about it."

Hermione smiled at him and greeted him with a hug. She hadn't owled her parents about him yet, not quite knowing where to start or how to explain it. She didn't want to worry them or hurt their feeling by telling them. She wanted to learn more about her father before sharing him with anyone other than Ron and Harry.

"Papa," she whispered into his warm sweater, that smelled like parchment and chocolate.

He froze for half a moment before pulling back and kissing her hairline. "You three come in out of the hallway," he said. "I have hot chocolate."

When they entered the sitting room, there were four steaming mugs of the rich liquid that Ron guzzled delightfully. Hermione sat on the love seat with Harry, near her father's chair, and Ron sat at their feet with his back against the couch where Hermione's feet would be if she didn't have the habit of curling them under her. Remus smiled at that, remembering Sirius doing the same- or stretching them out so no one else could sit down. Remus would always sit down anyway, happily setting Sirius' feet in his lap while he read.

Much to Ron's frustration, Remus agreed with Professor McGonagall about Trelawney's prediction and the reliability of Divination. He didn't tell them that he and Harry's parents had gone to school with her. He didn't think it relative to say that she had had an unbearable crush on Sirius, that he found very amusing. He didn't mention the only prophecy she ever gave, that he couldn't help but resent her for.

"You see," Hermione said. "It's guesswork at best."

"How do you explain Harry seeing the Grim at his relatives house?"

Remus' head snapped towards the boy almost hard enough to give himself whiplash. "Grim, what Grim?"

But no one heard as Hermione insisted it had to have been a local stray, punctuated by a light smack to the back of the boy's head. Harry rolled his eyes beside them, making it obvious they did this sort of thing all the time, but Remus was thinking about Sirius again. As if he wasn't always. He _had_ to tell Dumbledore. Sirius wouldn't know about Hermione being with the Granger's, and he would know she'd be here with Harry. He would know who she was just by looking at her, as it really was no question. She was the perfect blend of both of them, with streaks of Marlene McKinnon who had made their lives by being their surrogate.

"Papa?"

It brought him out of his mind, and even given the darkness of his thoughts, brought a smile to his face at the endearment. "Yes, little love?"

Her face pinked slightly at that. "I was wondering about _your_ class. What are you planning?"

He smirked. "Now, now, Hermione. That wouldn't be very fair. I suppose you'll just have to find out same as everyone else."

 **A/N: Wow! Heard the Harry ship loud and clear! I liked that idea anyway, seeing as it will be the first real time I write one for Hermione and Harry. There will still be lots of Snape love, because he is one of my favorite characters, but this is officially to be a Harry and Hermione love story. Snape can be Hermione's secret guardian angel. What do you think of Remus' inner thoughts? McGonagall having a cat flap? Remus a secret pranker? Lack of mpreg? Wolfstar? DUMBLEDORE AND HIS OBVIOUS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SIRIUS' INNOCENCE THAT NO ONE EVER REALLY ACKNOWLEDGES?! Ermehgerrd I hate that guy so much...**

 **Next chapter will have their first DADA lesson with Remus. As we all read the books from Harry's perspective, and Hermione's with him A LOT, this will mostly be Remus for now. What did you think of Snape by the way? I'm trying to write a Remus with a temper, who knows he has a temper, so tries harder to control his temper. He won't be calm and collected all the time, but he won't be a brute either. I love Remus so much.**

 **Dasvidanya, Mia.**


	3. Tribus

Chapter three: Tribus

Hermione couldn't decide what her fear was. Immediately, she thought of a Troll on one of her papers. It _would_ be devastating to think she failed at something that she had spent so much time before Hogwarts getting picked on for. But then she thought of the incident earlier in the week with Malfoy and Buckbeak, her mind changing the head of blonde to Harry's disheveled black mop of hair. The thought of something happening to Harry. She really _didn't_ put any stock in Trelawney's prediction, but with Sirius Black after Harry and being the only person to ever escape Azkaban, there was no way to be too careful.

She thought her father was a really good teacher. At first she had been anxious at the prospect of a practical lesson, not being the only one in their class to think of blue pixies wreaking havoc. But, she had followed the class to the staff room where Professor Snape was sitting and reading a newspaper. He hadn't acted any different towards her in class, but she felt a silent- well, camaraderie wasn't the word. It couldn't be a truce as, contrary to Harry, she and Snape weren't necessarily explicit enemies. But she felt a sort of understanding was between them since he caught her after curfew.

She almost felt guilty for laughing at Neville's boggart when it wore his grandmother's clothing. No doubt, when word of it got back to the professor it depicted, he would remind them why they should all both fear and hate him. She watched with pride as her classmate's stepped up to face their fears, smiling as they did.

Her father was brilliant.

But, in the middle of thinking about her _own_ fear, she thought of Harry's. Her first thought was, of course, Voldemort. But she knew fear wasn't the biggest thing her Harry felt towards the being. Hatred and defiance, yes, of course, but not fear. She remembered how he looked after the train, though.

When it was Harry's turn, looking back to her behind him with a smile, the boggart barely had time to change before her father was in front of him and the beginnings of a hooded figure turned into an orb-like thing- shimmery in an ivory color. Hermione frowned. Selenophobia, like all phobias, is thought to be from a combination of trauma and genetics. What could have been so traumatizing that her father's worst fear was the moon? She herself always loved the moon, finding the light of it calming and reassuring- a constant in an unconstant world.

"Are you okay?" She asked Harry when they left.

He nodded, kicking his feet lazily as they walked with Hermione between he and Ron. When she didn't say anything, he answered verbally. "I'm fine."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys thought just because they say that, that people will believe it. Harry specifically, as whenever Ron was particularly upset he tended to shout about it. "Harry, I really don't think he did that because he though you couldn't handle a boggart."

"Yeah?" He asked in a slight snap. "Then why else would he do it?"

"He doesn't know you the way Ron and I do. He might have thought that your biggest fear was Voldemort." Ron groaned at her use of the name, still not being used to it. "It's a legitimate worry for someone who is just getting to know you, and he has to think of it from the stand point of a teacher. Imagine how poor Neville would have reacted!"

Ron snorted, but didn't interrupt her turn to calm Harry down. Harry sighed and looked up sheepishly. "Well, I suppose when you put it that way. How come _you_ don't think it would have been Voldemort?"

"Because you're more likely to punch the tosser in the nose than cower or run away," Ron said for her. Harry smiled at that, and that made her smile in return.

* * *

As she predicted to herself, Professor Snape became nearly unbearable once the stories about Neville's boggart began to circulate the school. He snarled at everyone, even a few Slytherins, and seemed to renew his intense loathing for her father. He'd even taken to glaring at Hermione whenever the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was mentioned near his vicinity, which wasn't often unless you _wanted_ a particularly unpleasant detention of beetle prepping.

Remus became popular, forming a sort of fan base around him. Only Malfoy ever had something awful to say, and even then it seemed forced. Each lesson was just as exciting as the first, with practicals each chapter. In the evenings after classes Hermione, sometimes accompanied by the boys, would join Remus in his office or his sitting room to just talk. He praised her on her grades in a way her parents could not without the proper knowledge of the Wizarding World. On her birthday, which landed on a Sunday, Hermione woke up to a package at the foot of her bed.

 _Make sure to keep your time straight. Happy Birthday, little love._

She didn't know why she hadn't had the thought that he would know about her Time Turner. He was one of the smartest people she knew, and someone she admired and respected above all. He was her father. Of _course_ he knew.

Hermione undid the careful wrapping to find a small box, and in it, a coffee and pearl hand watch. She gingerly took it out of the box to slip on her left wrist, looking at it. It was obviously Muggle, and she was fairly sure he lived mostly in the Muggle world- if the clothes he wore out of classes were anything to go on. She wondered where they'd lived when she was a baby. Did he _still_ live there? Something told her he didn't. That he was running away from something. Why was he afraid of moons?

Hagrid, terrified and traumatized by his first lesson, gave the class flobberworms to look after. Not even Hermione could find interest in them. Ron, Lavender, and Parvati were still going on about Trelawney's predictions- the tension only made worse by Crookshanks seeming to target Scabbers, and Lavender's bunny dying mid-October. Harry tried to keep the peace, but that was difficult with Ron being unreasonable.

"He'll come around," Harry assured her one afternoon. "You know how he feels about Scabbers, and it doesn't help that the first experience we all have with Crookshanks is him trying to eat him."

But he _didn't_ come around, at least not immediately, and by the time Lavender's bunny was eaten by that fox, they could barely go ten minutes without arguing unless they were in class. Even then, Ron seemed to find a way to bring up Hermione's 'demon cat'. She was getting fed up more than anything. He also didn't like that Hermione agreed that Harry shouldn't go to Hogsmeade. Sirius Black had been sighted not too far away and it wouldn't do for him to go off away from the school where he was most safe. She _did_ however, stay with him the morning of Halloween when everyone else headed towards Hogsmeade for the first trip of the year, which lead the two to enter her father's office as he looked at a strange beast in a water tank.

It was ridiculous, she thought, to have such a silly crush on Harry. And how cliché was that, for it to be her best friend and Boy-Who-Lived, son of her parents friends. There was three right there! But it didn't stop her feelings as he asked Remus about the beast.

"It's a grindylow," he replied. "A water demon. We shouldn't have much problem with them, not after the kappas anyway. I was very impressed with the way you all handled them. I admit to expecting something more of a struggle. The trick with the grindylow is to break it's grip."

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked suddenly, cutting off his explanation and pointing out of the beast's brittle fingers.

He looked up her with a pale face that she couldn't decide if it was because he was sick or because she mentioned it. He looked thinner, which couldn't be healthy, and the lines in his faces seemed longer as thought they dragged from exhaustion.

Remus forced a smile at his daughter, trying to push away the inner panic at her question. If she paid too much attention, she would see it, and he hated to think of her recoiling away from him after he just got her back.

"I'm fine, little love. Just haven't been feeling up to snuff lately. It happens."

 _It happens a lot._

She frowned and narrowed her eyes, still concerned. She'd been around Harry enough to know the difference between 'fine' and 'I'm going to say fine so you don't worry'. This was the latter she thought, but couldn't say for definite. He seemed to know what she was thinking, smiling at her in a way telling her he knew she was frustrated and he was taking pleasure in it. It was a very typical father expression and one she recognized from Mo.

"Would you both like tea?" He asked, moving to a tea set and kettle behind his desk. "I was just about to make some."

"I don't like tea," she said absently. "I just like the lemon."

He froze, turning around and giving her a heartbroken look. "What did you say?" He asked in a tortured whisper. Before she answered, he turned back around to occupy himself with the kettle. "Right," he said. "I do believe I have some lemon around here somewhere."

Sirius hated tea. At first, it was because of his mother and her endless tea parties and whatnot where he was expected to act like his little brother. Then, it developed into a genuine dislike for the beverage. But he always requested lemon while everyone else had a cuppa. Remus still kept some on hand out of habit.

"I only have tea bags," he said, this time addressing Harry. "But I suppose you've had enough of tea leaves for the time being?"

Harry sighed, obviously thinking of Trelawney and her wailing at the mere sight of him. It didn't matter, he always preferred bags anyway. Hermione gnawed on the inside of her cheek in thought, the thought that something was off about him today.

"You seem to spend a lot of time in the Muggle world," she commented. Tea bags were very Muggle, and not very commonly found in the Wizarding World at all. It never made any difference to her, as she had never cared for either, but it did seem strange. She'd never met a wizard or witch who chose to spend their time in the Muggle world. But the tea bags, his casual clothing, and her birthday present suggested it- not to mention the old suitcase from the train.

"I do," he said. "My mother, your grandmother, was a Muggle and so we lived in a very Muggle neighborhood when I was growing up. In fact, I'd never met another magical child until Hogwarts. I lived in the Wizarding world after school, but when the war ended and I had to leave you- I decided I couldn't bear staying."

This was the first time she'd heard of any grandparents, though it was obvious that her grandmother was deceased with the use of a past tense. "Where did my dad grow up?"

He pursed his lips. "He grew up in London, Claremont Square in Islington. His parents were pure-blood supremacists in the worst way. I'm pleased to say they're both dead now."

She wished more than anything to know his name, almost convincing herself to go find out who he was, but if she was to know she wanted him to tell her. An uneasiness settled into the air, broken suddenly by Harry who was looking at his tea- black with two sugars.

"Professor," he asked. "Why didn't you let me fight the Dementor our first lesson?"

He blinked his light green eyes at him. "I would have thought that was obvious, Harry. I assumed that if it faced you, it would take the form of Lord Voldemort."

Hermione smirked with pride that he called him Voldemort and not something ridiculous the way most people seemed to. And that she'd been right before about his reasoning.

"Clearly, I was wrong," Remus said with a frown. "But I didn't think it would be a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staff room. I imagine that people would panic."

"I didn't think of Voldemort," Harry said with a slight tone of surprise at the prospect. "I remembered the dementors, on the train."

Hermione's hand found his, ignoring the palpitations in her chest and knowing look on her father's face. "Well done then," he said with a small smile. "That would suggest that what you fear most, is fear itself. Very wise."

Just as he said that there was a knock at the door. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Professor Snape, who carried a smoking goblet in his hand. His black eyes narrowed at Harry and Hermione, though softened back to normal at the latter as he came in. Remus smiled, seeming relieved to see the other professor standing there. "Ah, Severus. Thank you very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Hermione's eyes stayed on the goblet as it neared them to sit in front of her father. Why did it look familiar? Snape caught her eyes in a look she thought meant he was trying to tell her something, but he set it down in front of Remus.

"I was just showing Hermione and Harry my grindylow for our next lesson," he said pleasantly, pointing to the large cage on the other side of the room.

"Fascinating," Snape replied in a flat tone both students knew well. "You should drink that directly, Lupin. I've made an entire cauldronful should you need more."

What was it? From what she could see of it, without making it painfully obvious she was looking, it seemed to be a lovely shade of lilac with faint blue smoke rising from it. It made her think of something, as though it were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't remember.

"I should probably take some again tomorrow," her father was saying. "Thanks very much, Severus."

"Not at all," was the reply before Snape left- shooting a last glance to Hermione.

Remus raised the goblet to his face, sniffing at it lightly with a grimace. "Professor Snape has kindly concocted a potion for me," he said upon seeing the curiosity on their faces. "I've never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex. It's a pity sugar renders it useless."

He took a sip and shuddered, smiling weakly at Hermione. "As I said. I've been feeling off color and it's the only thing that helps. I'm lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape. There aren't many people who can brew it."

He was purposely not telling them what it was, Hermione noticed. "Hermione's brilliant at potions," Harry blurted. "I'm sure she could probably make what ever it is. She made Polyjuice Potion last year."

Hermione sighed internally as Harry apparently forgot how forbidden it was that she had done it, not to mention her stealing the ingredients from Snape to do it. Remus' eyebrows shot up and he looked vaguely amused.

"Really?" He asked, sipping the potion more. "My daughter, successfully making Polyjuice at the age of twelve? Whatever gave you reason to do that?"

Harry paled, having realized his mistake and Hermione was quick to change the topic back to the mysterious goblet. "What's in it?" She asked.

"You know," he said in a tone she couldn't identify. "I never asked. With its taste, I'm not sure I would want to know."

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," Harry said as Remus drank more.

Hermione lightly, or not so lightly, smacked the back of his head. "That's just a nasty rumor, Harry"

But Harry wasn't listening. "Some people reckon- some people reckon he'd do anything for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

"He's not going to poison someone, Harry. He's too intelligent. He would make sure it could never get traced back to him, and everyone would think it was him if it was poison. And anyway, Professor Snape wouldn't do anything like that. Just because he doesn't like you, doesn't mean he'd _kill_ someone."

"Doesn't like me?" Harry echoed. "He despises me! And he hates Remus just as much. Have you seen how he looks at him?"

Remus cleared his throat, interrupting their conversation. "Yes," he said. "Well. I apologize, but I do have things I need to be doing. Your friends should all return shortly."

* * *

Harry was quick to tell Ron about the smoking potion when they sat down for dinner. Ron seemed to be of the same thought about Professor Snape possibly poisoning Remus and Hermione repeated what she'd told Harry earlier. It made no difference.

"Hermione, he could claim that something went faulty with the potion. He'd make something up!"

She didn't bother to point out that he was too smart for people to believe he messed up a potion, no matter the difficulty. She was thinking too hard about the potion. It smelled and looked so familiar and she could swear she'd seen something like it in a book somewhere. Not only that, but he seemed very particular about not saying what it was. It couldn't be forbidden, or she knew Professor Snape would take advantage of selling him out on it. That she didn't doubt. So, Dumbledore had to know about it.

He did look sickly...

"Hermione, did you hear us?"

She looked over at where they stood to follow the rest of their table to Gryffindor Tower. "What? Oh! Sorry, lost in thought." She glanced down at her watch. "Yes, alright."

They followed the familiar path to the dorms to come to a long line, the students all chattering about and looking around. It couldn't be that Neville'd forgotten the password again, he was just behind them looking every bit as confused as they were. They could hear Percy's sharp, imperious tone molding through the crowd and a chilling silence came in a wave from the front- only broken by the odd gasp.

"Somebody get Professor Dumbledore, quick," Percy's voice carried to them.

A moment later, that made Hermione wonder if the headmasters were exempt to the 'no apparating rule of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore appeared and the sea parted to let him through without a word. Hermione, Harry, and Ron followed closely in his wake before the gaps closed again in hopes of getting a better look. Hermione gasped, her hand grabbing Harry's nervously.

The Fat Lady wasn't in her portrait, and it was easy to see why. The portrait had been slashed to bits, with large chunks taken out of it where it had been torn completely. Professor Dumbledore looked back with sharply alert eyes at Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Remus were rushing to see what was the matter. Remus' eyes found hers in a silent question if they were okay, to which she nodded before he looked back to Dumbledore.

"We need to find her," he said in a commanding tone. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky," a cackling voice said. Peeves, as delighted as he always was at a scene of wreckage or worry.

"What do you mean," Dumbledore asked calmly.

Peeves' grin faltered slightly, as he didn't dare taunt the headmaster. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. Saw her running through the landscape on the fourth floor, sir, crying something dreadful."

"Did she say who did this?" Dumbledore asked quietly, but with a resigned expression that told Hermione he expected already.

Peeves cackled some more, the cacophonous sound ricocheting off of the stone walls. "Oh yes, Professorhead. He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." His grin widened, threatening to split his face. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Gasps and loud murmurs you couldn't make out the words to grew through the crowd; Harry went rigid beside her, his hand in hers squeezing almost painfully; and when she looked, Remus' eyes had widened at her in panic and terror that didn't belong there.

"Just one year," Harry whispered under his breath. "Just one year..."

 **A/N: Thought this was the perfect place to end, but I'm getting my legs in this story. Sorry it's taken so long for it. BUT! I do plan on updating regularly, though I am not sure** ** _how_** **regularly or when. I can tell you that I write every day though. I am hoping next chapter will be longer. What do you think of Snape's look? Sirius and Hermione's similarities and shared tastes? Remus' pining and panic? She will find out soon, both about his lycanthropy and the identity of her other father. What do you think of her defending Snape?**

 **Remus' location details for Grimmauld Place are from Google and very legit. I think.**

 **On a different note... HOW FREAKING OLD IS SLUGHORN? I was thinking... he taught Voldemort, right? He looked at least what we think of as middle aged in that memory of talking to young Tom Riddle. But... Voldemort was like- in his seventies when he was defeated. How freaking old is he? Jesus!**

 **Anyway, hope you liked it. I think the next chapter will be posted either later today or tomorrow. Dasvidanya, Mia.**


	4. Quattuor

Chapter four: Quattuor

Remus wandered the castle in search, same as the other teachers. Now he _had_ to tell Dumbledore about Sirius being an animagus. He felt the panic and thrumming in his chest as he had to lean against a wall for support. They wouldn't find him. He knew this castle better than anyone, all of the Marauders did. He wouldn't be surprised if they knew it better than the headmaster himself. Sirius was long gone from the castle, but no doubt hiding somewhere on grounds and waiting for his next opportunity.

He should tell Hermione as well. If he didn't, and she went off to Hogsmeade only to come across him... he didn't know what he would do if he lost her.

"Lupin."

Remus turned around at the same moment he was slammed into the stone wall. He groaned at it, already in pain and hypersensitive to everything because of the upcoming moon. It was Snape, whose face was close to his in what he supposed was meant to be an imposing expression.

"Where is he?" The Slytherin ground out, his jaw clenched.

Remus didn't fight, breathing heavily and resting against the wall. "I don't know," he panted. "I'm not helping him, Severus. Not with Hermione-"

"You're hiding something, I know you are," Snape's hold tightened. "I warned you."

Remus' eyes flashed gold and he grabbed Severus by the throat, squeezing and guiding him harshly against the opposite wall. His nostrils flared, his lip curled up in a baring of teeth, and he growled as he fought to keep control of himself. "And I told you it wouldn't end well."

Snape's black eyes, that used to be a deep blue in their youth, bulged and Remus was snapped back into himself- the wolf within pacing impatiently. Remus pulled away quickly.

"Severus, I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Snape snarled, and then he was storming off.

* * *

Hermione couldn't stop thinking of the conversation she, Harry, and Ron overheard between Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore. It was obvious, to her at least, that it was Remus Snape seemed to think was helping Sirius Black into the castle. He was the only new professor this year, and it didn't sound like he was referring to someone who had already been there. Why her father would stand accused of helping him into the castle she wasn't sure, but she hadn't liked the look in his eye after they found out.

Rumors and theories of Sirius Black's escape ran rampant through the school; everything from apparating (really, did _no_ one read Hogwarts: A History?), to turning into shrubbery (but no one ever accused Hannah Abbot of being overly intelligent). The stories kept getting wilder. The Fat Lady refused to come back to her post, leaving them with Sir Cadogan who was insane- changing the password nearly twice a day without notice or cause. Poor Neville was beside himself every time he approached the knight's protrait.

On top of it all, her father was avoiding her. She knew he was, and he wasn't even hiding it all too well. Were she unintelligent, one to take things at face value, or particularly angsty; she would think he didn't care about her after all. But it was obvious before that he'd been hiding something, and he was smart enough to know she would figure it out given the chance. So he was hiding. Even with her Time Turner she used to go back and forth between her classes she couldn't seem to get a moment alone with him.

It all came to a head, though, on Friday; nearly a week after Halloween.

She was glad, for once, that she only had to use the Time Turner once that day. Hermione arrived perfectly on time, sitting down just as Professor Snape entered the room. He carefully paced the front of the room, staring at them in thought, with his eyes landing on her more than anyone. She shivered and resisted the near uncontrollable urge to ask after her father. That's what he was waiting on, she realized as his eyes met hers again with a dangerous, challenging expression she had only ever seen him give Harry.

"I will be teaching your class today," he said, his voice filling every corner of the room with ease. "As it is, Professor Lupin has failed to-"

The door banged open and Harry came in. "Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin. I-"

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed in sympathy. "This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."

Please sit down, Hermione thought in her head. Don't argue, just sit down. Look! There's a spot next to me... But he didn't. "Where's Professor Lupin?"

Professor Snape gave a twisted smile at the awaited question, a light in his eyes appearing. "He says he is feeling too ill to teach today. I believe I told you to sit down?"

Harry stayed standing as Hermione thought to herself. He was still sick? "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing life threatening," Professor Snape replied, looking at Hermione with glittering black eyes and a tone that suggested his disappointment in the lack of lethal illness. "five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Harry slowly walked over to the empty seat between Hermione and Ron and sat down in it. Professor Snape waited a moment, and began again. "As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"

"Please, sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows. We're just about to start-"

"Be quiet," he snapped at her coldly, the same look in his eyes as when he held the smoking goblet a week ago. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean said from behind her, causing a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class.

Hermione would have joined, with a smirk of pride at her father, if she wasn't trying to decipher Snape's gaze holding her own. "You are easily satisfied," the man drawled lazily. "Lupin is hardly overtaxing you- I, would have expected first years to be able to deal with grindylows. Today we will discuss-"

He flipped towards the back of the book, that he had to have known they hadn't covered, and Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep from commenting on- when he looked back to them with a smug and menacing gnarled smirk.

"Werewolves."

Hermione felt her eyes widen and her heart begin to pump faster. No. Of _course_. The scars, the smoking potion, the torn and patched clothing, the frailty, the boggart. With one word, it all clicked into place. The potion. Wolfsbane potion was not only extremely difficult to make, not even some of the best potioneers could, but the ingredients were very expensive. Of _course_ a werewolf would be afraid of the moon. Of _course_ a werewolf would have scars from his monthly scuffles with his more visceral counter part. It explained perfectly his small smile of resignation at his not feeling well, enough to make her wonder when he'd been bitten. And it explained the strange questions he had asked her their first discussion.

Professor Snape's smirk deepened in triumph when he saw the realization on her face. "Turn to page 394."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Remus was too tired to say anything, only stepping aside to let Hermione through the portrait. He had been in control of himself the entire night, something he had no words to describe after so long, but he was still dragging and felt like he was going to fall apart with the slightest wind.

In her arms was a stack of heavy books that looked awkward to carry. She set them down on the table and he was able to get a look at them. And he sighed. "What was it," he asked quietly. "The boggart, or the timing of my being sick?"

"Both," she replied. "Professor Snape set an essay on werewolves, and it explained them both."

He chuckled humorlessly. "So that's what he meant by 'act accordingly'. I should have known. He was far too accepting of me being too weak to teach. And you. I knew you would see it. You really are the brightest witch of your age."

"If I was the brightest witch of my age, I wouldn't be wondering why I had to find out through a different source rather than you just telling me."

Remus carefully made his way to his chair and sat back with a pained wince. "You've read the books," he said. "You had to have read about the immense prejudice. You wanted to know specifically why I live in the Muggle world? Because I can't get or hold a job otherwise. Muggles wouldn't notice if I couldn't come in on the full moon. They wouldn't put the pieces together and if they did they wouldn't believe the significance."

"But _me_ , Papa. You could have told _me_. I'm not the rest of the Wizarding world, I'm your daughter. It wouldn't have mattered to me outside of the scandalous lack of rights the Ministry has for werewolves. I intend to write them a very strongly worded owl about that."

He laughed a little more genuinely at that. "I just got you back, little love. I didn't want to risk losing you. There's so much you need to know, so much I'm not sure how to say."

"Say it anyway."

He was tempted. "I will," he promised. "But not today."

* * *

He watched practices from the Forbidden Forest tree line, swelling with pride at the boy's skill. James had been a fair Seeker, but his strength was always as Chaser and Harry was much better at finding the golden Snitch than his father had ever been. He'd been looking forward to watching him play against Slytherin, not being able to help the growl that came when he overheard about the snakes backing out because of the weather. He and James had played in worse just to see if they could, those cowards.

"We still need practice," the captain was saying, who reminded him of James as captain. To James, nothing was more important than Quidditch outside of Lily, and even then he would probably have hurt himself trying to decide between them. "Harry, you have to-"

"I _have_ to do my Transfiguration essay, Oliver," his godson said with a slight whine. Strange- Harry hadn't struck him as the academic type. The captain- Oliver, apparently- looked like he was going to protest. "You don't understand. If I don't finish it today, Hermione's going to _kill_ me and you'll have to find yourself another Seeker."

Sirius froze at the sound of his daughter's name. He'd kept track of her birthdays. There wasn't really anything else to occupy his time. He'd noted the day she and Harry both started school. He had wondered if they knew each other after James and Lily died, if they were friends, if they were close. He knew Remus was teaching here this year. He had seen the man from a distance, only venturing as close as he dared in case Moony sensed him. He'd yet to see Hermione. Did she look like him? Did she look like Remus?

Oliver sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright," he said. "Last thing I need is for her to come chew me out again for not letting you study. We'll practice more tomorrow."

Sirius watched Harry run inside longingly. He hadn't dared go inside since Halloween; ashamed at his failure and his loss of control regarding the portrait. Had he really thought that he could charm the Fat Lady the way he used to? He had just wanted to find the rat. Find the rat, kill it, and be with his family again. He missed Remus. He missed Hermione. He missed Harry. He missed James, who was more family than he'd ever had until Remus.

But he'd failed on getting Peter, and now he could only hope he would be able to get a glimpse of Hermione at the game.

* * *

Hermione was very glad to say she was right next to him when Harry woke up, perched beside him with chocolate she'd retrieved from Remus and his glasses that a fifty foot fall had no effect on. His eyes fluttered open a few times before he squeezed them shut and opened them a last time, emeralds falling on her. She tried to smile.

"Harry," Fred said, standing with everyone else around his bed and caked in mud. "How're you feeling?"

"What happened?" Harry asked instead of answering, trying to sit up. Hermione handed his both, his glasses and the chocolate. He took them both, nibbling on the latter.

"You fell off," Fred told him. "Must have been- what- fifty feet?"

Fifty four, Hermione thought to herself- based on the velocity. She'd never been so afraid in her life, screaming as he dropped from the sky. She'd been watching with Ron, Neville, and Ginny and trying not to worry because of the weather.

"But the match," Harry was saying. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

Of course he would care more about some stupid Quidditch match than the fact that he almost died. "Diggory got the Snitch," George told him. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square... even Wood admits it."

Harry sat up more, looking around. "Where is Wood?"

"Still in the showers," Fred said. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Hermione didn't have to look away from her Harry to successfully smack Fred in the stomach. Harry groaned and grabbed at his hair. Soon, Madame Pomfrey came to run them off and tell them there were too many people. Wordlessly, the team filed out to leave Ron and Hermione there with Harry.

"Dumbledore was really angry," she told him quietly, shivering at the memory. "I've never seen him like that before. He stopped you in the air and got rid of the dementor. They left the stadium right away. He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him-"

"Then he magicked you a stretcher," Ron said. "And walked you up to the school. Everyone thought you were..." He didn't finish the sentence, looking anxiously at Hermione and her red rimmed eyes.

"Did someone get my Nimbus?"

"Well... when you fell off it, it got blown away..."

"And?"

"And it hit- it hit- oh, Harry- it hit the Whomping Willow."

Harry's eyes widened at the thought of the violent tree that stood in the middle of the grounds. "And?" He asked, his face betraying his dread at the answer.

Ron motioned with a bundle in his arms. "Well, you know the Whomping Willow. It- it doesn't like being hit."

* * *

Harry stayed in the Hospital Wing for the rest of the weekend, an odd, despondent expression on his face as he stared into space. People came in hopes of cheering him up; Hagrid with flowers, Ginny with a blush and a handmade card, and the team with Oliver Wood in hopes of assuaging Harry's guilt from their defeat. Hermione and Ron only left when it got dark, and even then, Hermione managed to sneak back in Sunday night after Madame Pomfrey went to bed.

"It'll be okay," she whispered, having climbed onto the bed to sit with him. "You'll all figure out how to win the Quidditch Cup anyway. I'm sure if I read a few books I could try and help with strategy."

He sighed, fidgeting with the chocolate she'd brought- quickly inheriting her father's obsession. "Thanks, Mione, but it's not just that. It's seems silly, but-"

"Your broom?" She guessed. He nodded with another sigh.

"I know it's beyond repair, but I feel like I've lost a best friend."

Hermione slipped her hand into his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It's not silly, Harry. It was your first broom. It was special to you. I'm sorry it's ruined."

Harry leaned back more, not acknowledging their closeness. "But those dementors, Hermione. Every time they get near, it affects me like it doesn't anyone else. It's humiliating. I can hear voices and screaming. It's- it's my parents, Hermione. I hear them the night Voldemort came for them."

She gave a slight gasp and buried her face into his shoulder. "Harry- I, I don't know what to say."

Neither of them spoke for a few moments, sitting like that without moving and dawn approached. "Harry, maybe you can learn how to get rid of them. You could do what Papa did on the train, the patronus."

"Patronus?"

"It's a charm that takes the shape of an animal. It wards off dementors. I'm sure Papa would teach it to you if we asked."

"You really think so?" He asked hopefully.

"I'll make sure of it," she promised.

* * *

Remus felt terrible about not being able to come to the match, especially later hearing about Gryffindor's loss and Harry's fall, but he had been too sick still. The difference, he decided, between having the potion and not, was the extreme fatigue in the stead of physical pain and soreness. He wasn't sure which was worse. He would say the fatigue if it wasn't for the control he kept that made it worth it.

"Harry," he called at the end of their next lesson. "I'd like a word with you, please."

He smiled as he watched his daughter reassure him, his hearing being able to pick out their words where no one else would.

"It's okay, Harry," she whispered. "Just talk to him. Ask him about the patronus."

Ah, yes. The dementors. He'd never seen Professor Dumbledore so angry, which was frightening after being in a war with him. He'd seen many sides to the great wizard, but seeing him after the dementors came on the grounds against his express wishes had nearly frightened him. It was a reminder of how powerful the man really was. And his power was frightening.

"I heard about the match," he told him after the other students had gone. "And I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any hope of fixing it?"

"No, the tree's smashed it to bits."

Remus felt a faint pang of guilt at that, with the tree only having been planted for him. He sighed. "They planted the Whomping Willow the same year I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy named Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance."

He remembered James and Sirius inching towards it, daring each other to go farther. "Did you hear about the dementors too," Harry asked.

Remus snapped out of his memory to look at him. "Yes," he answered. "I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for sometime- furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds. I suppose they were the reason you fell?"

Harry confirmed it, and hesitated. Remus knew the face, the same face Lily used to make when she wanted t ask something but didn't at the same time. It was the face she made when she confronted him about being a werewolf.

"Why? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just-"

"It has nothing to do with weakness," Remus found himself snapping. Then he softened and at Harry's flinch. "The dementors affect you worse than the others because there are true horrors in your past that the others don't have."

Horrors, Remus felt somewhat responsibly for. If he'd known...

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. They steal every good feeling, every happy memory, until you're only left with the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Harry, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"When they get near me," Harry said, "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."

Remus' throat felt tight thinking of Lily, his friend. He only barely stopped himself from wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulder. "Why did they have to come to the match," Harry spat.

"They're getting hungry," Remus heard himself say, staring at nothing and snapping his briefcase closed. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up. I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement... emotions running high... it was their idea of a feast."

"Azkaban must be terrible."

"The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own minds, incapable of a single cheery thought. Most of them go mad within weeks..."

And that was what he'd left Sirius to endure all those years ago. Sirius, who he still loved, wasting away in Azkaban for twelve years. As if he knew Legilimency, Harry said, "But Sirius Black escaped from them. He got away..."

The briefcase in Remus' hand slipped off the desk at that and he nearly dropped it. "Yes," he said as he straightened up and cleared his throat. "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible. Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long."

"You made that dementor on the train back off," Harry said, obviously starting a practiced and prewritten speech that no doubt Hermione helped him with.

Remus nodded, happy to get the subject off of Sirius and Azkaban. "There are... certain defenses, but there was only one dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it is to rid them off."

"The Patronus Charm?"

"I know what you want, Harry, and it will have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays, and I'm afraid I've chosen a very inconvenient time to fall ill."

 **A/N: Would guests that are reviewing my stories please give me some sort of name to refer to them as later when I comment on their review? Thank you. As it stands, the next chapter is when they find out Sirius is Harry's godfather, but I'm not sure if it's when she finds out he's her father. I think so, but don't hold me to it. I'm just posting this before I go to bed.**

 **Thank you, Anno1701 for all the comments. I will try not to get a big head about your enthusiasm.**

 **To the guest who was adopted herself... I agree with your assessment of Remus and his self pity. I will be using that in my story in order to stay true to the character, but I will be cutting it down A LOT. As for his excuse for giving her up for adoption being a cop out. I think a lot of people forget, and with the actors and whatnot used in the movies it is easy to, that Lily and James were twenty one or twenty two when they died. So was Sirius when he was put in Azkaban and so was Remus in this story when he lost everything and was faced with raising his daughter alone with no means of supporting her. Hindsight is twenty/twenty. Maybe he could have found a way, maybe not. The point is, I will be twenty one in November and I honestly couldn't imagine being in his shoes- with** ** _out_** **his lycanthropy. I can very much understand his point of view at the time. I'm sorry that you feel Hermione is forgiving him too quickly. She might be, I don't know. I can't say I've ever been in her position, but she forgave Ron for abandoning her and Harry in canon when they needed him the most. She forgave Harry all those times he took Ron's side for stupid reasons. She's a very forgiving person. As for Snape, I love him. He is arguably my very favorite character in the series, and I usually love pairings between him and Hermione, but I definitely see your point. Thank you very much for reading and I hope you continue to read it.**

 **To the guest who apparently hates Snape. Why? I get it. I may absolutely LOVE him, but I do see the opposite view as well. But, it's kind of hard to say that he is out of character when the entire series was a front that he had to be. There was so much we learn about him in the last book and last two movies, that it's hard to accept we know who he is as a person at all. In the part where he helps Hermione find Lupin's chambers, he did it for her because she reminds him of both himself and Lily when they were children. He hates Remus and Sirius, but he admires and respects her.**

 **What did you all think of Snape's lesson? Hermione confronting Remus? Sirius' short point of view? Hermione and Harry's special moment? Remus and Harry's discussion? Let me know in the towel section down below.**

 **I really hope you guys like this chapter. Dasvidanya, Mia.**


	5. Quinque

Chapter five: Quinque

Hermione wasn't sure why it sounded so familiar, Harry explaining to her and Ron about the Marauders Map. She was sure she'd never heard of the Marauders, but the names sounded somewhat familiar. Prongs? She was almost sure she knew that name.

"Harry isn't going to keep it!" She half whispered, half shrieked. "He's going to hand it straight over to McGonagall. Aren't you, Harry?"

He looked scandalized at the notion. "I am not!"

"Are you mad?" Ron asked, just as shocked and horrified.

Hermione huffed lightly and rolled her eyes. "What if Sirius Black is using one of the passages to get into the castle? They need to know. Or, what if he gets hold of the map?"

"He can't be getting in through the passageway," Harry defended quickly. "Look. There are seven secret tunnels, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three- one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it, one of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over it, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through- well- it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar, so unless he knew it was there..."

He paused and Hermione could see him thinking about it. What if Sirius Black _had_ known about it before? What if he knew how to get past the tree? What if there was another tunnel the map didn't know about? Ron brought their attentions to a notice posted in the window of Honeyduke's.

BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Customers are reminded that until further notice, dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall.

Merry Christmas!

"See?" Ron said quietly. "I'd like to see Sirius Black sneak into Hogwarts with dementors swarming the place."

"But," Harry said quietly. "He's already gotten away from them before, and he _did_ sneak into Hogwarts with the dementors right there."

Hermione smiled at him being somewhat responsible. But Ron scoffed. "The owners would hear it, wouldn't they? They live above the shop! It's Christmas, Harry, you deserve a break."

Harry smiled too, seeming to agree with their friend until he caught the look on Hermione's face. He stepped closer to her until she could smell the broom cleaning kit on his clothes and his cinnamon toothpaste, so she held her breath as his forehead rested on hers to look her in the eyes very seriously. "Are you going to report me?" He asked with a grin that she loved.

She carefully shook her head, slowly so he didn't move his. "Of course not, Harry, but-"

"Look," he said quietly. "Later I'll tell McGonagall about the Honeyduke's tunnel. I'll tell her I only found it and not about the map. That way, they know about it but I can keep the map. If I give over the map I'd have to say where I got it. We don't want to get Fred and George in trouble, do we?"

"No," she whispered.

He pulled away still grinning. "Well then, come on. Show me around."

They went back to picking out sweets; Fizzing Whizbees, Jelly Slugs, and Acid Pops, before going to pay for them all. Hermione felt herself looking around more than she normally would, trying to convince herself that they were safe from Sirius Black, at least for the day. She expected to see his face between the shops, leering at them. She expected to see person-less footsteps following them through their sight seeing.

Hogsmeade was like walking through a Christmas card- where the picture was taken in a place that almost didn't exist. Powder snow covered the streets and the roof tops of the different buildings, holly wreaths on every door, strings of enchanted candles hanging in trees and above shop entrances to light ones way. By the time they'd seen everything there was to see, with the exception of the Shrieking Shack, their teeth were clattering and Hermione couldn't feel her finger tips.

"Tell you what," Ron said with much difficulty. "Let's go into the Three Broomsticks, yeah? Get a butterbeer? It's bloody freezing out here."

She agreed, letting Ron go get the drinks from a curvy woman with a pretty face, while she and Harry went to find a table in the corner near a brightly lit Christmas tree. He brought back three frothy, foaming tankards of butterbeer. Hermione loved the stuff, feeling it warm her innards to the very cockles of her heart. She watched the delighted look on Harry's face as he drank his, the three of them smiling at each other. Then a breeze came through the door as it opened and the three of them looked over lazily. Hermione's eyes widened in a panic as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, Hagrid, along with the Minister for Magic, entered the Three Broomsticks.

Ron was quick to shove Harry under the table, to her satisfaction and pride, and she whipped out her wand to shield their table with the tree. She could still hear them, their footsteps moving closer to sit at the table beside them. She nearly groaned. Why hadn't she thought of teachers catching them? Each Hogsmeade weekend was accompanied by at least two teachers to be sure the students all behaved themselves. She was lucky one of them wasn't her father. His heightened sense of smell would pick both her and Harry out.

She and Ron exchanged looks of incredulity, alarm, and truce. They listened as the group each got their beverages and invited Madame Rosmerta to join them. It was obvious that they were planning to stay a while and gossip as both Madame Rosmerta and Hagrid were known for doing. Her leg twitched nervously, her leg bouncing almost involuntarily until she felt Harry put a hand on her knee to still it- his head resting against her.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" Madame Rosmerta asked.

Hermione stared at her half empty tankard and listened as she knew Ron and Harry were. She wondered if, towards the bottom and less dense branches, Harry could see their feet. Next came a voice she'd never heard before, quickly deducing it as Cornelius Fudge.

"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard about what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumor," the barmaid admitted vaguely.

Hermione smiled despite herself at McGonagall getting on to Hagrid for telling the whole pub. Some parts were hard to hear, voices dropping to prevent others from overhearing, Madame Rosmerta complaining about the dementors scaring her customers off and the Minister trying to pacify her.

"Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do," he told her uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution... I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore- he won't let them inside the castle grounds, you see."

"I should think not," Professor McGonagall's voice said sharply, that made the three students sit up straighter. "How are we supposed to teach with these horrors floating around? It's bad enough..."

Her voice dropped off again. "All the same," Fudge said. "they are here to protect you all from something much worse... We all know what Black's capable of..."

"Do you know," Madame Rosmerta said thoughtfully. "I still have trouble believing it. Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought... I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

Hermione frowned. Wasn't it unquestionable? That he was guilty? But here this woman was saying she still had doubts. Hermione decided she would look it up when they got back to the castle, read about his trial and whatnot. Maybe Remus knew him.

"I can't believe that," Madame Rosmerta was saying now. "What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," Professor McGonagall murmured. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

There was a light, pleasant chuckling. "Naturally. Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here- ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

There was a clang underneath Hermione's table and she could imagine Harry dropping his tankard. She couldn't imagine. Now she definitely had to do some digging in the library. How had no one ever mentioned this, all the people who took it upon themselves to tell Harry Sirius Black was after him? Why hadn't Remus? He said he'd been close to James.

"Precisely. Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course- exceptionally bright, in fact- but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers."

"I don't know," came Hagrid's booming laugh. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money."

Professor Flitwick chimed in, "You'd have thought they were brothers! Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," Fudge said with disgust. "Potter trusted Black beyond all other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily, and James was the same when Black got married. Then they named him godfather to Harry, and James and Lily were godparents to Black's child. Harry doesn't know, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."

Hermione was shocked, this being the first time it was ever mentioned that Sirius Black had been married or a father. Something clicked in the back of her mind, a revelation just on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't get it out.

"Worse even than that, m'dear," Fudge was saying to Madame Rosmerta, his voice quieting into something of a low rumble. "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who isn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

Hermione only barely kept herself from gasping. She had read about the Fidelius Charm, thinking it very fascinating. She could see where this was going. The Potters would have chosen Sirius Black... and he'd have betrayed them. She reached her hand under the table to search for Harry's, finding it, and squeezing. She saw his emerald eyes peek out at her from underneath the table in question. She mouthed back, _I'm sorry_ , as Professor Flitwick explained the idea of the Fidelius and having a Secret-Keeper. Then James choosing Sirius Black.

"Naturally," Professor McGonagall said sadly. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would rather die than tell where they were, that Black was planning to take his family into hiding as well... and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potter's Secret-Keeper himself."

Harry was squeezing her hand tightly, threatening to cut off circulation. "He suspected Black?"

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements. Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

Hermione tried to both; listen and block them out, focusing on reassuring Harry through hand squeezes. Hagrid told the story of Sirius coming to Godric's Hollow and trying to take Harry. She had never appreciated Hagrid more than him saying he had insisted on following Dumbledore's instructions. And then, they told of Pettigrew.

"Pettigrew... that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" Madame Rosmerta asked.

"Hero worshipped Black and Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "Never quite in the same league as the other three, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I- how I regret it now..."

Fudge replied kindly. "There, there, Minerva. Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses- Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later- told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens..."

"Stupid boy," Professor McGonagall said thickly, followed by the blowing of a nose. "Foolish boy... was always hopeless at dueling... should have left it to the Ministry..."

"Is it true he's mad, Minister?" Madame Rosmerta asked.

There was a heavy sigh. "I wish it was, Rosmerta. I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man- cruel... pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them... but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored- asked if I'd finished my paper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword."

Soon after, the group left to head towards the castle and Madame Rosmerta went back to the bar. Hermione could hear their footsteps getting farther away until they were gone with a gust of cold wind from outside and the closing of the door.

* * *

"You said nothing!"

Remus looked up from his grading papers with wide eyes at his daughter. She had thrown his door open and slammed it shut again; her nose flared, her eyes narrowed, and her hair sparking with wild magic- drawing blue lines in the wild brown mane. She crossed her arms and glared at him accusingly.

"Excuse me?" He asked, concerned, confused, and slightly afraid.

That seemed to make her more angry. "Sirius Black," she spat.

He could feel his face pale slightly, but he was a Marauder. He schooled his expression and leaned back, away from his graded papers. "What _about_ Sirius Black?"

"What do you mean, 'What about Sirius Black?' I _mean_ , you've told us about being friends with Harry's parents. You've told us stories about you and James and my father and other friends. But not _once_ did you mention Sirius Black being Harry's godfather!"

Hermione began pacing, something he was often guilty of, her hands waving around madly as she spoke. "Mr. Weasley, the first person to mention to Harry about Sirius being after him, didn't mention that he was apparently inseparable with Harry's dad. Professor McGonagall, who clearly knew about him being Harry's godfather, said nothing when she reinforced the danger Sirius Black posed. But you!"

Remus sagged in relief that she didn't know he was her father. He was going to tell her. Really, he was. But he didn't want her finding out somewhere else. Too many people in the castle knew, and obviously she'd found out from one of them that he and Sirius had been named godparents.

"I thought, after meeting Harry, that he might try looking for him if he knew the truth. That he might try to go after Sirius."

Hermione frowned. "Does that mean you and my father knew Sirius Black?"

He winced and her eyes grew bigger as she thought it over. Hermione remembered thinking about how odd it was to think Sirius Black had a family. That he had been married. That he had a child. Her breath left her in a dejected sigh as she let herself fall into a chair.

"Oh."

That's why he hadn't told them about Sirius being Harry's godfather. It would have brought up questions like that and she'd have found out about Sirius Black being her father. How was Harry going to react? Her dad was responsible for the death of his parents. She knew how hotheaded he could be. She knew that it _wouldn't_ be too out of character for him to hunt Sirius down after hearing what they'd heard in the Three Broomsticks.

There was a shadow standing over her and Remus crouched down in front of her, taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry," he said. "I-I didn't know how to say it."

"No," she vaguely heard herself say, but it sounded like someone else saying it all together. "It's okay. I-I wouldn't have known how to say it either. So, he's my-"

"Yes."

Hermione nodded despondently. "Did, did you love him very much?"

His voice sounded strangled when he answered, " _Yes_."

She imagined Harry. Loving him the way she did and having him betray her and their child. The idea made her cheeks redden, but brought tears to her eyes. She looked up at Remus, who's face was starting to look blotchy with emotion. "It's okay," she said. "If you still do."

He hugged her, and she hugged back- looking over his shoulder at the corner of a desk. Coincidentally, the desk she and Neville often shared.

How was she going to tell Harry?

* * *

On the first day of the holiday, Ron approached her to talk about Harry. She was in the library, having commandeered two tables to push together, and was working both; on her Arithmancy essay and the Potions questionnaire for Professor Snape. She didn't notice that he'd come in, her nose nearly pressed to the open books. She'd been avoiding everyone, holing herself up here. She wasn't in the mood to fight with Ron, and she couldn't see Harry without feeling like it was just going to blurt from her mouth. But Ron came in, very quietly as though he were thinking very hard about something, and slipped into the seat across from her.

"Hermione?" He asked, making her jump and aware of his presence. "We need to talk about Harry."

She blinked a few times, feeling guilty about avoiding them. Harry needed her. And she was doing homework. Ron continued without her speaking. "He hasn't been sleeping. I know he says he has, but he hasn't. He's been obsessing over the pictures of his parents. What if- what if he tries to find Sirius Black?"

"I know," she said, shutting one of the tomes in front of her with a sigh. "We should talk to him."

"He won't talk about it," Ron warned in a serious voice. "I've tried to, but he just ignores me."

"Yes, but with the both of us there, he can't just ignore us. We'll just confront him about it. Make sure he isn't going to go looking for him. Maybe, maybe he's just grieving. He hasn't really done that, I don't think; this year is just harder on him."

Ron nodded, almost to himself. "He's in the Common Room right now. Where have you been?"

Hermione motioned to the parchment in front of her. "I have three things due for Arithmancy, two for Muggle Studies, and I still haven't finished Charms."

He cut her off the way she knew he would. "Right, well, meet me in the Common Room after lunch and we'll talk to Harry."

"I will," she said as he left. Once he was gone she sighed, pulling a stack of old newspapers from under the pile of books. With it were old student records she'd found in the library. She'd found pictures of her parents and Harry's. A picture of Harry's parents as Head Boy and Girl. Her parents, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. She even found an old picture that confused her, of Professor Snape and Harry's mum; they were reading together under the tree by the Black Lake.

It was hard to believe the person in the picture was the same Sirius Black. His face wasn't sunk in, his eyes weren't haunted- but his entire face was lit up with life and laughter, one arm slung around Remus who was smirking at the camera with a secret glint in his eye. She read in the old papers about Sirius Black's arrest- the way he was found laughing in the middle of the carnage he'd caused. But how did he go from best friend of James and Lily, her father, rebel to his family, to the laughing Death Eater found on November first those years ago. How was he imprisoned for twelve years without a trial?

"You're thinking awfully hard," a voice said. She looked up to see Remus, smiling softly and tiredly the way he always did. "I can practically see steam pouring out of your ears."

Sirius had told him that all the time, any time he came across Remus doing homework or staring away in thought. He would always reply and ask how Sirius knew, because he never thought hard about anything.

"Why wasn't he given a trial?"

His smile fell, looking at the old pictures and whatnot in her hands. "Hermione, don't go into it. It'll drive you mad, trying to figure out where everything changed. It drove _me_ mad. He didn't get a trial because the evidence was so overwhelming for his guilt and everyone just wanted to forget the war."

He'd tried. Remus had sent letters upon letters to the Ministry to get Sirius a trial, thinking there had to be some mistake. His Sirius would never do that to James. To him. To Hermione. He'd written letters about visiting Sirius to ask him why. Why did he give up their future? Their friends? Why didn't he come to Remus? Why did he kill Peter? He was forbidden to see Sirius, by both Dumbledore and the Ministry.

 _"_ _It won't help anything,"_ Dumbledore had said. _"You'll just hurt yourself more. No one knows how these things happen."_

The Ministry had investigated him thoroughly to be sure Remus wasn't part of it. Dumbledore had put together times where Remus had been on Order business, proof he'd been with Dumbledore's cause. Eventually the Ministry gave up their searching, but then rose the question of whether a werewolf could raise a child on their own. It was a question he'd been asking himself since he heard of Sirius' arrest. He'd had no one who could watch Hermione during the full moon. No job to provide for her. No where to go, not being able to bring himself to stay in their home- where he and Sirius had lived together since they got married; the only home Hermione had known.

So he'd let her go.

"It doesn't matter if the evidence is overwhelming," Hermione told him in a lecturing voice he wondered if it was his own. "Everyone- no matter what they're accused of, and no matter how much evidence- deserves a fair trial. Did you even think to owl the Ministry about this?"

"Yes," he said, sharper than he meant to. "I tried. I sent owls everyday for months. I tried to find a way I could talk to him and ask why he did it. Nothing happened. I was under investigation for aiding his plot. If I kept fighting them, I faced Azkaban as well."

Hermione's immediate mental response was, why didn't you? She'd have kept fighting. But he wasn't her, and she'd never been in that situation. She looked down at the pile of books and began to close them all, putting them together to head towards the Common Room.

"It's wrong," she said. "He deserved a trial, no matter what happened. People deserve fair trials, trials where they are able to tell their story. Maybe- maybe he was forced. Maybe he was under the Imperius Curse."

"Love," he said quietly. "He wasn't under the Imperius."

She nodded. "Right. I have to go find Harry."

* * *

Harry was slumped in a chair next to the fire when she entered the Common Room. Ron was sitting on the couch across from him with a worried look. Harry was just staring at the fire with a vacant expression. The room was chilly despite the going fire and the snow falling outside made shadows on the floor where Crookshanks lay on his back in relaxation. Harry didn't look up at her when she came in, but Ron met her eyes and she nodded.

"You really don't look very well," Hermione commented anxiously, sitting next to Ron.

"I'm fine," he said automatically, not looking away from the fire.

Hermione exchanged another look with Ron. "Harry, listen, we know you must be really upset about what you heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?"

"Like trying to go after Black," Ron said sharply.

Hermione calmed Ron back down with a hand on his arm. "You won't, will you, Harry?"

"Because Black's not worth dying for," Ron said.

Harry looked up with seemingly dead eyes, the green not glinting the way they usually would. "Hermione, you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me. I hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. If either of you heard your mothers screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her-"

"There's nothing you can do!" Hermione said, her face pale upon rehearing the tale. "The dementors will catch Black and he'll go to Azkaban and- serve him right!"

She choked on the last bit, but no one noticed. "You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for others."

"So what are you saying? You want to- kill Black or something?"

The idea of Harry trying to kill Sirius Black made her sick, but the idea of Sirius Black succeeding in killing Harry was worse. Trial or not, Sirius was dangerous and she didn't want her Harry anywhere near him.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione said with some difficulty. "H-Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, right, Harry?"

He avoided the question. "Malfoy knows? Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself... I'd want revenge.'"

"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?"

Hermione interrupted Ron's rage. "Harry, you can't seriously listen to Malfoy. Of _course_ he'd want you to go after Sirius. He wouldn't care if something happened to you. What are you going to do? You're thirteen, only a third year, and he's a powerful wizard. He used to be an Auror! You can't possibly think you could go against him."

She could feel tears building and heat coming to her face, talking around the lump in her throat. "Harry, please. Please, be reasonable. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger. It's what Malfoy wants and it's what people think Black would want. Just, please, leave it to the authorities."

"Tell you what," Ron said as bright as he could manage. "Why don't we go to see Hagrid? We haven't been to see him in ages!"

"Yeah," Harry said. "We can ask why he's never told me about Sirius Black when he told me about my parents."

Ron's face fell and Hermione glared at him. "Or we could have a good game of chess," he said hastily. "Percy left a set of Gobstones and Hermione said something about Charms-"

"No," Harry said firmly. "Let's go visit Hagrid."

* * *

"You'll have to put up a good, strong defense, Hagrid," Hermione said, glaring at the official letter on the table, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe."

Compared to the other creatures they'd come across of Hagrid's, Buckbeak was indeed safe- downright timid when you took Fluffy and Aragog under consideration. He had bucked Harry off over the lake, and she was very thankful for that. And, thinking about it, Malfoy's face had been very amusing screwed up in hysteria.

"Won't make no difference," Hagrid sobbed. "Them disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared of him! And if I lose the case, Buckbeak-"

Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his hands. Hermione shared an uncomfortable look with Harry and Ron as Harry asked about Dumbledore. Surely, Dumbledore could do something.

"He's done more'n enough for me already. Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them dementors outta the castle an' Sirius Black lurkin' about..."

Hermione was afraid for a moment that Harry would start laying into him about not telling Harry of Sirius Black for the past two years, but was pleased to see he couldn't bring himself to at seeing Hagrid so distraught.

"Listen, Hagrid, you can't give up. Hermione's right. You just need a good defense. At muggle schools they make little note cards to write stuff on so you don't forget dates and whatnot. We can make you some of those. You can call us as witnesses-"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "I'm sure I've read about a case of hippogriff-baiting where the hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened."

The half giant wailed more, but after many reassurances and Ron making cups of tea ("It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset."), they were able to convince him. "Yer right," he said as he blew his nose. "I can't afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together..."

Fang placed his head on Hagrid's knee in a very understanding way. Hagrid looked down at him, sniffed a few more times, and patted the boar hound. Ron mentioned the flobberworms- all dead from too much lettuce- but somehow, and Hermione later couldn't tell you how, they came upon the subject of Azkaban.

"Is it an awful place, Hagrid?" she asked apprehensively. She kept imagining Sirius Black in a muggle jail cell, unable to conjure an image of Azkaban that fit.

"Yeh've no idea," Hagrid said quietly, his eyes glazed over in reminiscence. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' going over the horrible stuff in me mind... the day I got expelled from Hogwarts... day me dad died... day I had ter let Norbert go..."

"Yeh can't really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' really see the point of livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in my sleep. When they let me out, it was like being born again, ev'rythin' came flooding back. It was the best feelin' in the world. Mind, the dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

It sounded worse than she'd read, and she'd been reading a lot about it. Her father- no, Sirius Black- had spent twelve years there. No wonder he tried to escape. Without a trial... could one really be called guilty? Somewhere, in her the deep recesses of her mind, she wanted to just accept he was because even the thought of an innocent man having to be in Azkaban that long made her want to weep. Maybe that was why Remus had given up.

Hermione, Ron and Harry spent the next days in the library, looking for things to add towards Hagrid and Buckbeak's defense. Anytime they would find something that maybe could help, _"A manticore savaged someone in 1296 and they let it off"_ , it turned out to be non applicable, _"No, that was only because everyone was too afraid to go near it."_

The Christmas decorations went up around the castle; the usual magnificent tree, thick streamers of holly and mistletoe, the powerful and delicious smell that pervaded the corridors from the kitchens. Nevermind that hardly any students were there to appreciate it all.

Christmas Eve, Hermione found herself in the library again- looking over all the pictures again for what felt like the millionth time. She was trying to memorize each one, each pose, each mischievous smile. The library was closing soon, she knew, as Madame Pince came towards her to tell her she needed to pack her things up. But she didn't. Instead, she looked at the pictures in front of Hermione with sad eyes.

"You can keep them," she said quietly. "I'm sure I could find copies somewhere and, well, Merry Christmas, Miss Granger."

They were probably the kindest words any student had ever heard Madame Pince utter, the usually strict woman walking away to check the aisles. Hermione smiled, looking down at the pictures in her hand, and packing to go down to dinner.

 **A/N: Soooo, yeah. I feel like she's probably just in shock from everything she's learned. Next chapter, Christmas, more Remus, patronus lessons, Time Turner stuff, Sirius' next appearance in the Gryffindor Tower (poor Ron). In this, as opposed to canon, Harry isn't going to be a dick to Hermione about the broom. I don't know when I will have Harry find out that Sirius is her father. As of this moment, Hermione doesn't know what she thinks of Sirius Black. She doesn't necessarily think he is innocent, but she is researching and keeping herself open to the idea that he COULD be.**

 **Remus... poor Remus... what do you guys think of him sending letters to Azkaban and the Ministry? What do you think of Dumbledore telling him to stop? What do you guys think of Dumbledore? Personally... I hate the guy. Oh well.**

 **Dasvidanya, Mia.**


	6. Senio

Chapter six: Senio

Hermione woke up on Christmas morning early, though she was sure not as early as Ron. At the end of her bed was the usual pile of gifts that she smiled at, slowly bringing herself to a sitting position and rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes. She felt guilty, incredibly so as she opened the one from her parents, that she'd yet to tell them about Remus. She promised, even if only Crookshanks was there to hear it, that she would send them an owl after breakfast. Remus sent her chocolate, a spendy Muggle brand she'd mentioned as her favorite, and a note that said ' _Mine too_ '. She tugged her Weasley sweater on over her nightgown and looked confused at the last gift, loosely and hurriedly wrapped in brown paper.

She'd already opened the presents from everyone else; candy from Ron, and a new set of quills from Harry. Who else had sent her something? She had a feeling of dread as she brought it towards her. There was no note. Hermione held her breath and opened it, her eyes widening almost out of her head.

It was the first printing of Hogwarts: A History, her favorite book. Every ten or twenty years or so they rewrote it, adding things that were discovered or writing about events that happened- no two editions were the same- and someone had found her a copy of it from the first version. It was beautiful. She looked at both covers, flipped through the pages, and basked in the angelic choir that rang in her ears until the question of who came back to her like a bucket of ice cold water.

She didn't _know_ who sent it to her, but she had an idea. Sirius Black, her father. How did he know it was her favorite book? Why would he send it to her? Hermione looked down at the book longingly and left the room in favor of Harry and Ron's with Crookshanks following close behind.

"What's so funny?" She asked when she entered, finding a seat on Seamus' empty bed. Her eyes fell on the broom, which she recognized as a Firebolt from visiting shops with Harry and Ron, and felt the dread from her book come back as she held it tighter to her. "Oh, _Harry_! Who sent you _that_?"

"No idea," he said, grinning at it as it hovered. "There wasn't a card or anything with it."

Hermione's dismay must have shown on her face as Ron frowned. "What's the matter with you?"

She hadn't told them about Sirius Black yet, well, at least not the part of him being her father. "I don't know," she said slowly, glancing down at the book in her arms lovingly. "But, it's odd, right? I mean, it's supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"

Ron sighed exasperatedly. "It's the best broom there is, Hermione."

She stroked the edges of the book as she spoke, feeling conflicted. "So, it must have been awfully expensive..."

"Probably cost more than all the Slytherin brooms put together," Ron said happily.

"Well... who'd send m-Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him who'd sent it?"

Harry frowned at the slip up, not understanding, but maybe it was a slip of the tongue, and looked at the book she as holding in a death grip. Ron next to him was asking him if he could have a go, but Hermione interrupted.

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!"

He felt as though he should change the subject off of his new broom before it became an argument between his friends, and was about to ask Hermione what book she had- with it's leather binding and gold words that he was too far to read- when Crookshanks leapt from beside Hermione and to Ron's chest.

"GET- HIM- OUT- OF- HERE!" Ron bellowed as the orange cat ripped his pajamas.

Scabbers scrambled out of his pocket to escape over Ron's shoulder. Ron grabbed at the rat's tail, trying to kick Crookshanks away, but misjudging and kicking over Harry's trunk instead. He howled and grabbed at his now hurting toe and there came a sharp whistling as the Sneakoscope fell from the now fallen over and open trunk. Harry would have laughed, if he wasn't grabbing the Sneakoscope in hopes of shutting it up. Crookshanks hissed at it and Ron sat on Harry's bed nursing his toe.

"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," Ron said, furiously. Then to Harry, "Can't you shut that thing up?"

When Harry looked up again, Hermione was walking out of the door and looking down at her book sadly. He wondered why.

* * *

Hermione couldn't bring herself to come down for lunch, instead hiding in the Astronomy tower with her book and the war going on in her mind. She should tell Professor McGonagall. Or Remus. She should tell Remus. She knew they would take her book away, and she loved it so much, but Harry had also been sent something in the same way she had; and his was considerably more dangerous. Suppose Sirius Black also had a wand that he'd used to jinx it? Her bluebell flames wouldn't be able to help her this time. Then she remembered, she _couldn't_ tell Remus and ask his opinion. Last night had been the full moon and he would be resting- hopefully eating the chocolate _she'd_ sent _him_ and reading the book she'd lent. She groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"That bad?" A voice asked.

Hermione shrieked and nearly fell from where she was perched on the edge if it wasn't for the sticking charm she'd placed. She looked back to a tall figure dressed to the chin in dark buttons.

"You scared me," she said.

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. "I assure you, that was not my intention."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say, looking back out to the snow covered grounds of Hogwarts. If you squinted, you could see the shadowy figures of dementors serving as imprisoning guards. How ironic, she thought to herself.

"You weren't at lunch," his voice came again.

She looked up at him, but he was looking out to the grounds as well. "No, sir, I-I have too much on my mind to be able to eat."

He blinked, a blink that looked deliberate. All of his blinks, she noticed, looked deliberate. Not the involuntary motion most people had. "He's done this for a long time, Miss Granger. Lupin will be fine."

"Oh," she said, confused for a moment at what he was talking about. She blinked rapidly a few times before it registered. "No," she corrected. "That's not it. I-"

She hesitated. She liked Professor Snape okay, she supposed, despite all the reasons she had not to. He _had_ to be strict in his classes, it being one of the most accident prone classes at Hogwarts and often a subject that has the most disasters if not watched. She trusted him, at least.

"I received something," she told him at great reluctance.

"I do believe that is a custom for this day, if you weren't aware?" She could swear he smirked, and while any other time she would find it fascinating that he actually had different facial expressions other than bored, sarcastic, and scathing, she just needed his advice.

Hermione canceled the sticking charm and stood up to show him the book. "It had no note, sir. And, well, it can be awfully expensive, and I can't think of anyone who would have sent it..."

Professor Snape took the book from her and looked at it, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly and his eyebrows shooting up. He thumbed through a few pages and closed it, not removing his eyes and looking as though he were thinking of how to word something.

"Miss Granger, I wonder if you are aware of-"

"I know," she said, "that Sirius Black is my father. Papa told me... sort of. And we know who he is to Harry. I think- I think they might be from him."

Professor Snape's face made a cross between bored and eerily calm- that was usually the most dangerous. " _They_ , Miss Granger?"

Hermione nodded dumbly. "H-he sent Harry a new broom. I thought, maybe they were cursed. I thought maybe I should go to someone; but Papa is sick and needs rest and Professor McGonagall would take them away. Harry would be so angry, he'd never talk to me again. He doesn't know about who Sirius Black is to me, I-I haven't been sure of how to tell him."

"Miss Granger, isn't Potter's safety more important than his happiness?"

She swallowed and nodded. He nodded once as well and swirled around, walking off in a way that obviously meant she was expected to follow him. She did, walking down the winding stairs from the Astronomy Tower and down corridors. She immediately knew they were heading towards her Head of House's office. She brought her hands together to fidget with her nails nervously. The walk seemed to take longer than it usually would, but she knew it was from her anxiety.

Professor McGonagall's office door was open and she was at her desk reading reports it looked like. Hermione could imagine the long list of work expected from the woman as a Head of House and Deputy Headmistress- on top of being the Transfiguration professor, but she looked up when Hermione followed Professor Snape into the room.

"Severus? Miss Granger? Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, professor," Hermione said quietly.

Professor Snape didn't return Professor McGonagall's sentiment, only handing her the beautiful book and only slightly breaking Hermione's heart by doing so. "It had no note," he told her. "And I have been informed that Mr. Potter has received a new broom in the same fashion."

"A Firebolt," Hermione specified quietly.

Professor McGonagall's blue eyes widened at the possibility. "He hasn't ridden it yet, has he?" She asked as she stood, ready to go off to Gryffindor Tower the way Hermione had expected.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so, Professor McGonagall, but, well, I thought perhaps they both might have come from Sirius Black. How would he know Harry needed a broom? How would he know that Hogwarts: A History is my favorite book? You don't think he's in the castle, do you?"

The woman looked saddened by Hermione's obvious knowledge of her father being who he was. "Of course not, my girl. We'll get to the bottom of this, now, we'll need to take these to be sure they are jinx free."

"I-I know, professor."

"I shall go inform the Headmaster," Professor Snape said, turning on his heel and leaving.

She was glad he'd found her in the Astronomy Tower, even if now that she was thinking about it she didn't know why he was up there in the first place. She was glad to have someone confirm and approve her thoughts, to have someone tell her it was the right thing and help her execute it. She'd have done it anyway, that she knew as Harry's safety _was_ more important than whether or not he talked to her, but it felt nice to have someone there.

"It was right for you to bring this to our attentions," Professor McGonagall said as she and Hermione walked towards the Common Room. It was different than walking with Professor Snape. With him it was him gliding easily along the corridor and her fighting to keep up, trailing behind him. With Professor McGonagall, they were walking together. "I know you must really want this book."

"It's the most beautiful book I've ever seen," Hermione said wistfully, sneaking a look at it in the woman's hand. "But, Harry's broom could be rather dangerous if it's been jinxed or something and I don't like the idea of more than one dangerous Quidditch game in a year."

Professor McGonagall chuckled lightly. "Yes, he does have a talent for trouble, doesn't he? Just like his father did, and you following him into it the way Remus used to follow James and Sirius. Your parents were quite the pair by themselves, nevermind when all the Marauders were together."

Hermione snapped her head over, making her hair whip into her face. "M-Marauders?"

"Yes, dear. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew- that's what they used to call themselves. I swear they spent every moment thinking up new ways to get into trouble. They could be rather amusing, when they wanted to be. I was ever so broken up to hear... well, here we are."

* * *

Harry stared with a slack jaw at the Firebolt- that beauteous thing with a shiny handle, perfectly straight twigs, and the lack of bad angles- in Professor McGonagall's hand. The tin of High-Finish Polish was still clutched in his own hands. Strip it down. She wanted to _strip it down_. The idea was sickening. How could she be so sure there was something wrong with it? A small voice in his head, that sounded like Hermione when she was lecturing, asked him how he could be so sure there wasn't... but that wasn't the point.

He understood that Hermione meant well, but it didn't stop the bubble of anger that began to boil up. Then, Professor McGonagall turned to leave through the portrait hole again and he caught a glint off of a leather bound book in her other hand with gold lettering. It was the same book Hermione'd had that morning when she came in. The one she had obviously loved and looked at with even more affection than she did Crookshanks. He looked over to where she was, and where she was usually looking back at him with a smile, she looked... sort of... bummed.

"What did you go running to McGonagall for?" Ron asked, immediately rounding on her.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms defiantly. "Because I thought- and Professor McGonagall agreed with me- that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"

"Sirius Black?!" Ron demanded. "He's a wanted fugitive! How would he get his hands on enough money, much less order it? And why would he spend so much money on something like that just to ruin it with a jinx?"

"There are ways! Suppose he filled an order form out, used a fake name, and his old Gringotts account? It's possible, and don't you tell me it isn't!"

Harry felt like this was about to get out of control. "I understand," he said. "And, she _did_ say it was only for a few weeks if there was nothing wrong with it, right? She likes Quidditch too, she'll want to get it back to me."

He was rewarded, and at the moment it definitely felt like a reward, with a smile from Hermione. He smiled back and Ron sighed exasperatedly. "I can't believe you just went off to her like that!"

"She lost something too, Ron," Harry pointed out.

Hermione looked away and nodded. "It was a first edition of Hogwarts: A History."

Harry could hardly hear her, but anyone who knew her even in passing knew it was her favorite. She probably wanted it even more than he wanted his Firebolt, which was difficult to imagine.

"What would Sirius Black send you something for?" Ron asked, not harshly.

She blushed, a red spreading through her face. "Well," she started and stopped. She opened her mouth a few times to close it again, her eyes tearing up as she looked at Harry. "Oh, Harry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I- he's my father."

There was silence and she quickly rambled in hopes of calming whatever rage she was expecting. "Harry, I promise I didn't know. I went to Papa to ask why he never mentioned it. I asked if my other father knew them too, and, well..."

Harry didn't know how to feel, blinking in surprise and then conflicted emotions. Anger, was first. The idea that Sirius Black had a family, a daughter and a husband, when he was the reason Harry didn't anymore. More anger, at Professor Lupin who had every opportunity to tell them but never did- until Hermione probably came into his office in a temper. Amusement, that he knew what Hermione could be like when she was angry and she was probably furious towards Lupin. It was amusing to think of her chewing him out and Lupin's vacant and slightly startled expression in return. He felt awful for Hermione. That had been over a week ago. Had she held onto it this long, afraid to tell him?

He knew the answer to that, having not said anything while he worked through his emotions and thoughts. She had barely stopped talking, probably expecting him to rage and kick things- perhaps throw furniture and tell her he never wanted to see her again. He would admit, feeling guilty as he did so, that had he not known her as long as he had, and if she had known about any of this before this year- he might have. But this was Hermione.

Even Ron was looking at him with nervousness about how he would react, but Harry hugged her and she stopped talking, obviously not having noticed that she was crying. "It's okay," he heard himself say. "It's going to be okay."

* * *

 _Dear Mum and Mo,_

 _I have procrastinated in writing this letter, not quite sure how to tell you, but I finally put it on paper. This summer you told me about my biological father, Remus Lupin, and this year at Hogwarts a Remus Lupin is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. At first, I didn't tell you because I wanted to get to know him better. Only the teachers, Harry and Ron know about it. We've had tea, just lemon for me, and talked at great lengths about limitless subjects. I love him dearly, and am very glad to be able to spend time with him._

 _I don't want you to worry. I love you both no less than I did when I left. You are my family at least as much as he is, and to me you will always be my parents, I just want to know him. He's a brilliant teacher, and loves to read just like me. He's an intellectual being, one of the few I've met since entering the Wizarding World._

 _I miss you both dearly._

 _Your Mia._

Hermione read over the letter several times, sighing each time. It felt like a lie, without all of the other drama that was also happening. It was the first time she wasn't telling them something. She'd told them about the Philosopher's Stone and Fluffy the cerberus their first year, the Polyjuice Potion and the Chamber of Secrets their second. It helped, she supposed, that they thought she was exaggerating and making a few things up, because surely things like that didn't happen at a school?

But how could she tell them about Sirius Black, being her other father and trying to kill her best friend? Or the fact that he had likely sent them both presents for Christmas? She didn't need Professor Snape to tell her that was a bad idea. So, she carefully tied the inadequate letter to Hedwig's leg and sent her off with a treat.

She hadn't told anyone about finding out who the Marauders were, but now it posed another problem. What if Harry misplaced the map? Sirius Black, being one of the ones who made it, would know exactly how to use it and wait until Harry was all alone before attacking. But, Harry never let go of the map so maybe it wasn't a problem...

* * *

Remus heard, upon exiting his rooms, about Hermione and Harry receiving their gifts and Hermione's going to McGonagall to give them up. He was proud at that moment, exceptionally so, that she'd done that. He wasn't so sure at her age he would have. The Marauders were blissfully ignorant and ignoring of their own mortality. Their answer to every conflict they came across was hexing it, and Remus was glad to see Hermione's maturity had surpassed that.

He'd expected it to bring tension between the three friends, and Professor McGonagall had expressed her own worries of that happening, but it had seemed to bring them together- the three of them banding closer than before as though they were ready to fight the rest of the world. She told them. He knew she told them because that's how the Marauders all were after finding out about Remus' lycanthropy, as if they were ready to defend their friend and their friendship to the entirety of the Wizarding World; and damned to the person who gave them a strange look.

He'd promised Harry that they would begin their lessons that evening, after dinner in the History of Magic classroom, and headed there once he'd finished eating. Harry was already there by the time he'd grabbed the heavy packing case from his office.

Harry was nervous, but trying to pretend he wasn't as Professor Lupin told him about the spell. Ron had wanted to come, and Hermione too, but she'd understood his anxiety and pulled Ron to the Common Room with the agreement that she would help him with their Potions assignment. Harry was thankful, not sure he'd be able to do this at all- much less with an audience. Lupin had him repeat the incantation.

" _Expecto patronum_."

The memory he'd chosen was the first time he'd ridden a broom, the freedom and ease that came with it. He concentrated hard on it, filling himself with the feeling, and something whooshed from the end of his wand- a wisp of silvery gas. Harry grinned and turned back to Lupin, ready and feeling more assured about taking on the dementor shaped boggart.

Remus didn't see Hermione much for the next month or so, only in passing in the hall where she carried a tall stack of textbooks while muttering to herself about Ancient Runes or Muggle Studies. She was going to burn herself out, she was nearly there already. He'd spoken with McGonagall about it, only for her to agree and curse the headmaster under her breath. Dumbledore and his secrecy...

He continued his Patronus lessons with Harry, who'd yet to ask him about Sirius, and was quite impressed with how well he was doing. But then, he _was_ James' son. James was always superb with DADA, filling his thoughts of Lily whenever there was a Patronus called for. Harry told him he'd heard James, heard him telling Lily to run, giving her time while he fought with Voldemort.

Remus expected nothing less from James.

"You're expecting too much of yourself," he tried to tell the disheartened Harry. "For a thirteen year old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement.. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?"

"I thought a Patronus would- charge the dementors down or something."

"A true Patronus does that, but you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. It took me the entirety of my seventh year to learn it. Don't sell yourself short."

He pulled out butterbeer, and the two sat down for a rest. He had no doubt Harry'd gone to Hogsmeade, being James' son and who he was as a person. He had the same expression Lily did when she lied, quickly telling Remus that Ron and Hermione had brought him back some. He knew they probably would have, but hadn't here.

Then Harry started asking about the Dementor's Kiss.

It was only irony, he told himself, that he should ask when that morning had announced the dementors permission. Sirius, all that he was, gone. A shell of a person. A soulless meat suit. Remus had went very pale when he'd read that and left the Great Hall rather quickly afterwards.

"He deserves it," Harry said, making Remus jerk and feel sick. Then Harry looked away. "I'm sorry," he said.

And he was. He hadn't realized until after he'd said it, who he was saying it to. He'd been thinking of the torment Hermione was putting herself through on top of her endless classes- that he still wasn't sure how she got to all of- trying to figure out what had happened to make Sirius Black do something so horrible. He was sure she'd been sleeping in the Common Room, not making it to her bed most nights.

But Professor Lupin smiled a sad, tired, accepting of the wicked world smile. What was it he'd told Hermione in the letter? ' _There are wolves in the world_.'

"It's alright," he said. "I understand. He- he isn't the same person anymore it seems."

Harry felt awful about just blurting it out, quickly draining the rest of his butterbeer and leaving. On the way, McGonagall gave him back the Firebolt and he felt lighter than he had been in a month, excited to also be handing Hermione back her book. Though, when she'd find time to read it he didn't know.

She was pouring over a rune translation when he and Ron came in. Harry fought through the crowd, all gathered to look at his broom, and placed the book in front of her. Her eyes lit up and she looked up at him in a question.

"She gave them back," he told her happily.

Hermione's face brightened and she stood to hug him, throwing her arms around him ecstatically and ignoring the catcalls around the room and begging of them to 'get a room'. They were both blushing hard when she pulled away and he wasn't sure why. She was pretty, he supposed- having changed over the summer between second and third year.

He opened his mouth to say something, but didn't get the chance- though he had no clue what would have come out- interrupted by screaming from Ron; who had taken the Firebolt up the stairs so he could give Scabbers his tonic.

Scabbers was gone, and in his place, was blood and several long, ginger cat hairs.

* * *

"Can you believe him?" Hermione groaned, visible blue crackles making her hair even more unmanageable as she paced back and forth. Remus watched with unbridled amusement. "The nerve!"

"Who's warranted such a rage?" He asked, not bothering to hide his grin with more than a finger on his mouth as he lounged, his blue eyes watching her as she circled his sitting room. "Has Mr. Malfoy found another helpless creature to harass?"

Oh yes, she'd been outraged after that particular lesson, but not as much as she was at the moment. He could feel her magic swirling around her in anger as it fought to contain itself. He found himself in a rare good mood, though those were becoming increasingly less so as he spent more time with his daughter and godson.

"Ronald," she spat, crossing her arms and bracing herself to keep control of her temper.

She definitely got that from Sirius. Everyone assumed that Sirius had been the hothead, and if you were threatening his family or those that he'd decided were worthy of protecting- he was. But it was Remus that had to watch himself, easily losing his mentality to the wolf's perpetual anger. Sirius had always been there to help him with control. Only once, did Remus ever see Sirius lose his... their fifth year when Severus was lead to the Whomping Willow by a specially dropped hint from the previously mentioned animagus.

"What's he done?" Remus asked, confusion and slight worry marring his features. His head tilted at her as she swirled on her heel to begin walking the other way again.

"He just can't accept the natural order of things. Cats chase rodents, it's just how things are. Crookshanks doesn't understand that it's wrong! And now... well... now it seems as though Scabbers has been devoured and digested, most likely, by this time."

Remus blinked a few times at her bluntness and wording, trying to figure out if she was saying it to get a laugh. But her face, angry, yes, but hurt- answered that for him. "He blames me!" She said with a waver to her voice. "I didn't do anything! He can hardly expect me to keep Crookshanks locked in the dorm. Though, I admit I tried. He kept getting through, somehow."

"It's not fair for him to blame you for something your pet did," Remus said. "And it's not fair for you to secretly blame yourself either." He tilted his head down to look at her over his reading glasses, that he was still wearing from Hermione bursting into his rooms in a rage. She blushed and looked away sheepishly. "What does Harry say about all this?"

Her face fell even more as she gnawed on the inside of her lip. "He, well he didn't really say much of anything, really. He looked at me like he was apologizing. I know he's going to take Ron's side, he always does."

She'd deflated once Harry was mentioned. Remus knew they were close, not missing the obvious crush she had on the boy. It must have felt like a betrayal, but Remus knew the kind of position Harry must have been in- being put in the middle of his two best friends.

"I'm sure things will work out," he told her sincerely. "Friends fight, no matter how close they are, but if the friendship is that important- you'll all find a way to work it out. Have you apologized to him on behalf of your cat?"

She looked affronted. " _Apologize_?" She hissed indignantly. "Why should _I_ apologize? _He's_ the one being a total prat about this whole thing. Scabbers was old anyway, sick too! Ron was getting him rat tonic even before I got Crookshanks, but no! Crooks is the bad guy here. You should have seen the rat; all scabbed up and matted, missing a toe. All he did was sleep all day. Crooks probably put the poor thing out of his misery. The miserable thing probably gave my poor thing indigestion!"

Remus sighed. "Hermione, sometimes to save a friendship, you have to pick your battles. Is this argument worth losing your friendship over? It's not taking the blame, it's saying you're sorry he lost a pet. You don't have to be _exactly_ sorry, just be sort of sorry."

"Sort of sorry?" She repeated. "I'm not sorry at all! Perhaps I would have been, if Ron was being a reasonable person."

"He's got his mother's temper, no doubt. Merlin help the person who crosses Molly Weasley. If he was being reasonable, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation."

Hermione sighed, knowing he was probably right. Ron just lost his head about this sort of thing, she knew that. She wished this whole thing hadn't happened. "I don't even want to go to the game tomorrow. My enthusiasm just isn't there for it, and I do still have things I need to do for my classes. Our exams are coming up..."

"Little love, don't let your quarrel with Ron affect your friendship with Harry. You should go, show him your support, and maybe talk to Ron about it."

"I suppose," she said finally. Remus smiled a vague, triumphant smile. The smile spread to a flush of pride and love when she hugged him, scampering out and leaving him feeling happier and more content than he was sure he'd been in twelve years.

 **A/N: So, I am so sorry it has been so long since I posted! If any of you remember, I had a stomach bug a few weeks ago, and just this week I got a really bad head cold. Grrr, it's been hell. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I was going to wait to post until I'd written the Quidditch game, but meh. I'm still sick and I felt bad for the wait. But, throughout the height of my ickiness, I got a new car (my first), I bought the first Harry Potter book I've owned since middle-ish school, and I have read some awesome fanfiction.**

 **Did any of you know that Maggie Smith, who plays McGonagall, smokes? So does Daniel Radcliffe, though, he just looks really hot doing it where Maggie Smith looks classy. He also drinks Vitamin Water, which is like my favorite stuff though I prefer Peace Tea.**

 **FYI, if any of you are sick... peppermint tea REALLY helps. I was iffy about it, because, meh, tea. I'm from the South where we drinks it syrupy sweet and ice cold. But it really helped clear me up where nothing else seemed to.**

 **Okay, enough of my chatter and to the writing stuffs. So, there was no more Sirius business, hehehe, but I PROMISE that will be in the next chapter. What do you think of Remus and Hermione's talking? Her moment with Snape? Harry's patronus lessons? Hermione finding out who the Marauders were?**

 **I know that in canon, Harry and Ron take longer to forgive Hermione, but really? That whole thing is just stupid. Plus, Harry cares about Hermione differently in this and sees where she is coming from. It also helps that he wasn't the only one who lost something. What did you think of the glimpse into his mind? Or how he handled learning Sirius is her father? What about Hermione's letter to her parents? Let me know in the towel section!**

 **Daasvidanya, Mia**


	7. Septum

Chapter seven: Septum

Hermione found Ron a few minutes before the beginning of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. He'd taken to hanging out with Seamus and Dean while Harry was at practices, careful not to look at her when she and Neville were in the room. On the occasions he _did_ look at her, the contempt in his glare was staggering and made her glare back. Which is why she'd decided to wait until the game.

It was nice outside, one of those rare mornings in Scotland with a slight breeze and a clear sky. It was warm, and she was glad the weather was better than the game against Hufflepuff. She made her way through the Gryffindor crowd to where Ron was, talking to Seamus and Dean. Dean nudged him and nodded to her, making Ron turn around to face her. Immediately his face screwed up into anger, but he pursed his lips and looked away- doing a very good impression of Malfoy.

"Ron," she started quietly. He didn't make any indication that he heard her. She sighed. "Ron, I'm sorry."

He whirled around, shock clear on his heavily freckled face. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry that Crookshanks might've eaten Scabbers, really, I am. I should have made the extra effort, knowing Scabbers was the only pet rat in the tower, to keep Crooks with me where he couldn't cause any harm."

Ron blinked rapidly, as rapidly as her pride was bruising. Obviously, he was surprised that she would apologize. "Thank you," he said, voice holding a small bit of awe. "I should have kept Scabbers with me too. Crookshanks isn't the only cat in the school. You were right, it's in their nature. I should have been more careful."

Hermione twitched a bit at Ron saying she'd been right, knowing he wouldn't have admitted it if she hadn't apologized first. But she smiled, thankful the fight was forgiven on both accounts, even if she was a little bitter about it, and turned to watch the brooms all rise in the air. She could see Harry clearer this time, looking around the Quidditch Pitch for any sign of danger. None of the teachers had their wands out, much less aimed towards any of the players on field. The Bludgers all looked right, not seeming to follow any particular person and content to be hit back and forth between the Beaters. The sky was clear enough that she knew they'd be able to see any dementors coming.

No doubt her father and Professor Dumbledore were keeping close eye on things. She could see him in the crowd, nestled between Professors McGonagall and Snape with a pleased, ever tired smile as he caught her eye. Professor Snape was glaring at him out of the corner of his eye, his own dark ones roving over the pitch the way hers had. No doubt he was categorizing everything like she did, quickly dispelling any past threats before his eyes fell on hers.

Maybe she should've been angry at him, teaching a class on werewolves- obviously in the hopes of giving her father's secret away. It wasn't even worth mentioning that she'd figured it out. Who else had done so? But, at the same time, maybe he felt he had a reason. She wasn't so ready to condemn him for doing such a thing when they'd always been wrong in the past. She still felt slightly guilty for setting his robes on fire, not having been able to resist sending him an anonymous apology. She had no doubt he knew it was her.

When their eyes met, she smiled hesitantly at him. If nothing else, finding out of her father's lycanthropy had made him stop avoiding her and she was glad for that. At her smile, he seemed to frown more as if he was confused. At that moment, Ron and Neville pulled her back to the game to see Harry dive towards a golden glint she could barely make out. She shrieked in excitement and encouragement as a Bludger came his way.

"Harry!" She called.

He looked over towards the Gryffindor stands and pulled off course, barely avoiding it by an inch- that could have gotten them the Snitch. George Weasley growled in frustration, hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Ravenclaw Beater.

They were leading by eighty points to zero.

Hermione glared at Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker who's tactics were worthy of a Slytherin. Coincidentally, Malfoy wasn't a bad one and certainly didn't need to follow the other Seeker to find the Snitch. Cho stuck close to Harry, following any time he tried to get away from her. She hated to say that she agreed with Oliver, who shouted.

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN! KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

It was an awful thing to say, and the idea of fighting dirty wasn't something she would usually advise or approve of, but she'd decided she didn't like Cho. Suppose her proximity caused Harry to get off balance or something? If it was anything like riding a bicycle, she knew from experience being chased made you fall from being distracted. Though, she'd take the bike over broom any day.

Then, she knew they weren't dementors. Last time, the stadium had gone cold and people screamed and pointed. This time, they came out of no where and didn't have quite the right visage outside of the hoods- her galleon was on Malfoy- but it didn't matter. Harry pulled his wand out and shot off a spell she couldn't quite make out, the familiar wisps of a patronus reaching out.

Hermione screamed her cheers, easily the loudest as the stag erupted at the same time Harry's hand wrapped around the gold- ending the game. Later it would be told, though she would deny it, that she was physically jumping. Nevertheless, the stands overflowed onto the pitch to congratulate and console both teams. Hermione, Ron and Neville ran fast with Dean and Seamus- with Hermione the fastest to get to Harry, running into him with a hug that almost made him fall.

She pulled back with a grin. "Harry, that was brilliant! You did it! You made a corporeal patronus!"

"That _was_ quite something," a voice behind them agreed.

Remus was pale, he was sure, at the stag that had stood guard as Harry's protector. James. Of course, it would be the same. Though, to be honest he hadn't seen it before. He thought Harry's would be his own; a lion perhaps, or something equally different. It hadn't even occurred to him that it would be a stag.

"The dementors didn't affect me at all," Harry said triumphantly. "I didn't feel a thing!"

"That's because they weren't dementors," Hermione told him before Remus could.

Harry's face fell in confusion and Remus pulled them aside towards the edge of the field. "Come and see," he said. "You gave Mr. Malfoy quite the fright."

Lying in a heap was Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint the Slytherin Captain- struggling to remove the long, black, hooded robes from their persons. Hermione pursed her lips, beginning to march forward before Harry grabbed her to stop her. Professor McGonagall passed them, in much the same expression Hermione'd had to confront the Slytherins. She glanced at Hermione being held back by Harry and looked almost amused before looking back to them with fury.

"An unworthy trick!" She shouted. "A low, cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you and fifty points from Slytherin! I will be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake. Ah, here he comes now!"

Ron beside them was laughing loudly, not even trying to contain himself. Malfoy was trying desperately to get out of the robe with Goyle's head stuck in it and his eyes bugging. Hermione and Harry found themselves swept away to the Gryffindor Tower where Fred and George had sneaked into Hogsmeade to get beverages and snacks for their celebratory party. Harry'd gotten them both a butterbeer, handing hers to her.

"So," he said hopefully. "You and Ron made up?"

She nodded, taking the bottle. "I... apologized on behalf of Crookshanks. It wasn't worth losing our friendship over. I hate that you got put in the middle of it."

Harry grinned. "I guess by now I'm used to it. I don't know what I'd do if you two suddenly got along all the time. I'd feel useless."

She didn't know what to say, thinking that, while she liked Ron and liked being his friend, she wouldn't be if it weren't for Harry. So she concentrated on opening her drink, not seeing the soft smile Harry was giving her until lips placed a swift, chaste kiss on her cheek. Hermione looked up with wide eyes, shocked, and a deep blush. He smiled at her again as Fred and George came to pull him off to somewhere else. He mouthed, _thanks_ , to her as he disappeared into the crowd of Gryffindors.

* * *

Hermione woke up to a loud scream, jerking out of her sleep and sitting up with an essay stuck to her face with ink and slight drool. She'd fallen asleep in the common room again, trying to finish her reading and jotting down notes about each chapter to help with later work. She pulled the parchment off of her face and made a face at it before she heard a door slam. That's right, she woke to a scream. Was there a quarrel? She stretched, lazily looking to see who came down from the boy dormitories.

A man, wearing ragged clothes with waxy skin pulled tight over the bones of his face came down- the last thing she'd expected and she couldn't stop the gasp that came out of her mouth. His eyes, a dull, dead gray, snapped to where she was and he stepped towards her. With the step, the moon light coming through the open window caught a glint off of something in his hand. A knife.

Sirius Black.

She couldn't scream. She couldn't move aside from the widening of her eyes and the paling of her face, she was sure. The only thing she could think was that she had his mouth, their lip shape nearly matching. The mangled mop on the top of his head looked much like her own. And he was coming closer.

Sirius watched her scramble away from him, hissing as a forgotten quill stabbed into her palm and she drew the hurt hand into her- cuddling it to her chest. She was afraid of him. He didn't blame her. Having caught a few glances at himself since his escape, he'd be afraid too. He was already afraid; afraid of the change in himself, afraid he would fail and be Kissed for it, afraid of the dark thoughts that had settled into his mind- a side effect from Azkaban.

"Careful," he said hoarsely, the first word he'd said since Halloween and only the tenth since his escape. "Don't hurt yourself."

He knew immediately who she was. He'd have known instinctively, even if he hadn't seen her at both Quidditch games his godson was in. She had both, Remus' nose and chin. Thank heavens she didn't have his, it wouldn't have looked right. And thank heavens she had Hope's eyes and not his or Remus'. He'd always liked brown eyes, and he wouldn't have been able to be so calm if it were Remus' eyes reflecting that fear.

Doors opened and heavy footsteps were heard that broke Sirius' gaze away from his daughter. This was the closest he'd been to her since she was two, and he wasn't keen on leaving her again, but he had to or it would all have been for naught. He looked back to her, making his way to the portrait door.

"I didn't do it, Hermione," he said with his hoarse voice, pleading with her to listen and believe him. "Please, whatever you think of me, tell Remus. Tell him I would never. I would never."

And he was gone.

Hermione stared after him, as people all started to come downstairs- Ron, Harry, and the boys from their dorm first. She tried to open her mouth to tell them Ron hadn't been dreaming, that Sirius Black _had_ been there, but nothing came out.

 _I didn't do it, Hermione. Please, whatever you think of me, tell Remus. Tell him I would never. I would never._

It wasn't until Professor McGonagall pushed her way through the reforming crowd, dressed in her dressing gown and a hairnet, that Hermione's tongue unstuck itself from the roof of her mouth.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley," she'd said to Ron's claim. "How would he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"I saw him too, professor," she said finally, not having moved from her spot on the floor in front of the dying fire. "It was Sirius Black, and he _did_ have a knife."

Harry and Ron looked at her with worry and McGonagall went pale, not contradicting Hermione the way she had Ron. She pushed the portrait back open and went out side, her face white and her lips pursed to non existence. Everyone in the common room held their breaths to listen in shamelessly.

"Sir Cadogan," Professor McGonagall addressed in a shaky voice, not terribly unlike Sirius' had been, Hermione noted. "Did you let a man into Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady," the portrait said proudly.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room. "You- you _did_? But- but the password?"

"He had 'em!" Sir Cadogan replied. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

She entered the common room again, her eyes going to Hermione's first and then Harry's, before looking at everyone else. "Which person," she said quietly, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

Neville Longbottom, who squeaked in fear and guilt, his body vibrating, slowly raised his hand.

* * *

Hermione felt bad for Neville, curled up in her father's bed while Remus took the transfigured couch in the living room. Professor McGonagall had immediately taken her, Harry, Ron, and Neville down to her office where she floo'ed Remus, the headmaster, and the other Head of Houses. Neville stared at his feet, his face red, while McGonagall reprimanded him and Professor Snape sneered. Upon hearing Sirius Black's name, the latter quickly glanced to her and away when he saw she was looking at him too.

"I am absolutely disappointed," she'd told the trembling third year. "The idea that you wrote them down is awful enough, but to have been careless with them?"

Hermione wanted to stand up for him, the way she, Harry, and Ron were in the habit of doing, but she was too preoccupied with thinking. Why did Sirius run? Why, when she thought he probably could have easily taken each of the boys, did he run off if his end goal was to get to Harry?

Remus was the last one to enter, looking tired as he brushed soot from his robes that looked slept in. She hoped he didn't fall asleep in his office again, though, with the ink from her essay still staining her face, she didn't think she had the right to scold him for it. She immediately hugged him, not caring that Neville was still there. He was the only one in the room that didn't know about her being adopted.

"Hermione?" He asked in alarm. "What's happened?"

He returned the embrace and looked around the room in confusion, from the teary eyed girl in his arms, to the equally confused and momentarily distracted Neville in front of McGonagall where she stood with hands on her hips.

"What's going on?"

"Sirius Black," Professor Flitwick said with a squeaky voice, "He had the passwords to get into Gryffindor Tower. Mr. Weasley apparently woke to find him standing over him with a knife."

Remus was taken aback. "A-a knife?"

Professor Snape sneered. "Yes, Lupin, a knife, and your daughter- who was asleep in the common room at the time- was able to confirm it. Still playing innocent as to how he was able to get in?"

"I know what you're insinuating, professor," Hermione said, slightly muffled as she had yet to let go of Remus- only barely having loosened her tight grip. "Papa would never do that, despite how much you seem to hate him."

Professor Dumbledore spoke then, from the corner where no one had seen him come in. Not for the first time, Remus wondered if being Headmaster made you privy to secret passages others were not. He had the habit of seeming to emerge from walls.

"Severus, that is enough." Professor Snape closed his mouth, his retort stuck on his tongue as Dumbledore came closer to stand in front of her. "My dear girl, you seem very, understandably, shaken. Did he say anything to you?"

Hermione extricated herself from her father to face him in respect, but her face was still downwards. "Yes, sir," she said quietly. "He- he told me that he didn't do it."

Dumbledore nodded as if having expected her answer. "I see. Might you be willing to let us see your memory of the event? I should like to see both yours and Mr. Weasley's if you don't mind."

Hermione had read about such things, giving a memory to someone to be seen in a Pensieve, and she knew that Hogwarts was home to the only one in existence. It was in her new book. She nodded.

"Shall we abscond to my office next then?" He lightly asked the other professors. "The children may come; I doubt very much that they'll get to sleep anytime soon with such things having happened. Minerva, may I assume that you have the other professors searching the castle?"

Professor McGonagall nodded firmly and Dumbledore returned it, if mostly nodding to himself. Once they all followed him to his office past the gargoyle (the password to which being Fizzing Whizbees), Professor Dumbledore opened a cabinet to reveal a stone basin of sorts. Hermione knew this to be the Pensieve she'd read about, saying so when Dumbledore asked the four students if they knew what it was.

"Right you are, Miss Lupin," he said in his unique voice. Hermione blinked a few times in interest. It was the first time she'd been called that, not having thought of anyone referring to her by it, but it left a pleasant imprint in her mind when he turned back to the Pensieve for a moment.

"Shall we say, ladies first, my dear?" He said next, gesturing to her with his wand.

Right. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the memory; from the scream that had woken her, to Neville raising his hand. It felt strange, having it slip from her mind and stick to Dumbledore's wand tip. Like getting a hair in your eye and pulling it out, or having a sheet that you were laying on slowly pulled from under you. She still had the memory, but it was no longer as vivid, as clear, as frightening. She hoped he kept it.

He flicked the blue wisp, not _entirely_ unlike those of a patronus aside from color, and placed his face to the water. When he pulled out, he looked pensive- as though he were considering something very heavily. He nodded for the other professors to follow suit, and one by one they did; starting with Professors Snape and McGonagall, and ending with Remus. Each came out paler than they'd gone in, shaken at the sight of Sirius Black, post-prison.

Remus couldn't have imagined. The pictures in the paper had been awful, and the reality was much worse. Remus felt sick. He knew her, he knew Hermione on sight. He had to have seen her. Of course, intellectually he'd known that already. How else would he know Hermione's favorite book if he hadn't been close to her at some point, and if he was wanting Harry, he'd have seen Hermione no doubt. It was worse even than that- the thumping in his heart at seeing Sirius again after so long, even if it had only been in a memory. His voice was different. He wasn't so smooth with his speech and even more so with his words. His hair wasn't meticulously tousled by wind from a recent broom ride with James. The light in his eyes, the life of him that Remus had always loved, was gone and replaced with something that made him shiver.

After coming out of it, pulling Hermione into his arms again, he closed his eyes to bring forth an older memory- James and Lily's wedding perhaps- to replace what he'd just seen. Remus and Sirius both had never smiled so much to that date as they did then. What was there not to smile about? Marlene had just agreed to be their surrogate, answered their wishes to have a family. Prongs had finally gotten the girl that he'd been after since they were eleven. Sirius and Remus had only gotten married a short while before. Life was good, in spite of the raging war on the outskirts.

Of course, if you looked back at those pictures, you could see it. You could see Professor Dumbledore having a serious discussion with Alastor Moody in the background. You could see the tired circles around their eyes. You could note the fact that they married at Frank Longbottom's mother's house, because at the time it was the only real safe place to do it outside of Hogwarts.

Remus tried to imagine Sirius, wearing his red vest, with one arm slung around Remus and the other hand casually in his pocket. He tried to make out the manic grin on Sirius' face as he snuck a loving glance to Remus as the camera flashed. He tried, but all he kept seeing was the knife in Sirius' hand and the rags hanging from his now frighteningly thin stature. He kept hearing Sirius saying his name.

 _Tell Remus I would never._

"Papa?"

Remus looked down at his daughter's soft voice, she was looking at him with a worried expression, and then to everyone else that looked like they were waiting on an answer to a question he didn't hear. "I'm sorry? I didn't catch that."

"We were asking whether you thought he'd still be in the castle," Professor Sprout said, "We have reports that it's been searched and nothing was found."

No. He'd be gone. And if he wasn't, they would just run themselves in circles trying to find him. If he was in the castle and didn't want to be found, they'd never find him. He had written most of the map, spending hours staying up late to work on it. That's what they needed, Remus thought to himself. The map.

He shook his head to the Herbology professor. "No," he said. "He'd be gone by now. Somewhere on the grounds, most likely. Perhaps the Forbidden Forest."

Hermione yawned just then, closing her eyes and inhaling Remus' comforting scent of chocolate, parchment and pine. Remus' hold on her tightened and he kissed her head. "If it's alright with you, headmaster, I think it might be best to bring Hermione back to my quarters with me. She might rest better."

"I think that would be agreeable," Professor Dumbledore said, dismissing everyone in the office, aside from Ron. "It's alright," he assured them. "I'll escort him back to his dorm once I have seen his memory."

Hermione said a quiet good night to the three boys and followed her father to his quarters, where he immediately made her hot chocolate that she was only able to drink half of. Afterwards he cleared his bed off for her, having to move a great deal of books and papers and whatnot off of it. From what she saw before he did so, he'd only had enough room to lay down in a cramped fashion. Hermione tried to tell him that she would be more than happy with the sofa in the sitting room, that she was just happy not to be sleeping in Gryffindor Tower that night, but he insisted and kissed her forehead good night.

"Papa," she called before he shut the door. "Do you," she paused wondering how to word it. "Do you think it's possible he _didn't_ do it?"

He took a deep, careful breath. "I've been trying to think of a way he could be for twelve years, little love. I've yet to find one."

 **A/N: So, it's shorter than the last one, but I thought it was a very natural place to end the chapter. I hope you all like it. Thank GOD I seem to be over my cold, and my husband seems to be on the mend as well.**

 **WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT KISS? So, it was short and only on the cheek- but honestly? He's only thirteen. She's only fourteen. I hate the stories out there where they're 'dating' at this age, making out, etc. Because... just... meh. There won't be any serious romance between the two until at LEAST their fourth year, maybe fifth. And even then, it won't be much more than what's in canon. But I thought the kiss on the cheek was very cute and very appropriate if I do say so myself. And to answer any questions about their feelings for each other... she has already mentioned her crush on him...and he's a boy. He's not entirely sure what to call how he feels, but yes. It's a crush. And it's adorable.**

 **What did you think of Hermione's short (very short) conversation with Sirius? Or Sirius' inner thoughts? Or Remus'? I really like writing Remus, even if he can be a bit broody. I'm trying to both- stay true to Remus' character, and at the same time make him not so broody and slightly pathetic. I say pathetic in the best way possible. Also, poor Neville. I love him so much. What do you think of Dumbledore, both canon and mine? Personally, I don't like Dumbledore, but there won't be any bashing of his character in this story... unfortunately. What do you think of Hermione?**

 **Next chapter will be written and posted within the next few days, I hope you enjoy this one until then. My story, all of it, has NOT been Beta'd. Actually, I've never had a Beta. Meh. Anyway, good night all.**

 **Dasvidanya, Mia.**


	8. Octo

Chapter eight: Octo

The weather stayed much the same as it had been the morning of the Quidditch game with Ravenclaw. Hermione was very glad that the cold was over, and hopefully with it, Harry's problems with the dementors. She wasn't holding her breath, but it was good to have hopes. Ron told the story of Sirius Black to anyone who'd stop too close to him, whether they were willing or not. Hermione on the other hand, spoke of her meeting with him to no one outside of who had been in McGonagall's office. When Ron asked about it later, she was glad that Harry spoke before she had to, having seen her expression at the question.

"Ron, don't make her talk about it. It's not exactly how anyone would ever want to meet one of their parents."

Harry was being very understanding about the whole thing in her opinion, of course that being based on the previous two years of his hotheadedness. He was quick to shut down any rumors that she spoke to Sirius, and was just as quick to bark at anyone who came near to ask about it. She was very grateful, not even having spoken to Remus about it. He'd seen it, but he didn't seem to keen on bringing it up either.

Neville didn't tell anyone about learning who Hermione's real parents were, and Hermione was sure she'd never been so thankful. But aside from that, Neville had been disgraced. He wasn't allowed to know the passwords anymore, and no one was allowed to tell him. He had to wait outside for someone to let him in. He'd been banned from any further visits to Hogsmeade and given detention, but his grandmother's punishment was far worse than any of these. Two days after Hermione's first encounter with Sirius Black, a Howler came by owl for Neville- scarlet red and smoking in anger. Poor Neville tried to run from it, escaping through the doors of the Great Hall with the envelope chasing after him.

A visit to Hogsmeade was coming up, as evidenced by a crowd surrounding the bulletin one morning. Ron was the most excited out of the three, obviously hoping the trip could get the other two out of their quiet distance from the rest of the House. Hermione expressed her concern.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she'd said quietly, not wanting to start her third row with Ron for the year. "After Sirius Black getting into Gryffindor Tower, don't you understand now how important it is that he take the extra measures? That means staying inside the castle, and, maybe he really _should_ give up the map now."

Ron's face began to get red, but Harry interjected before he could begin his- what was sure to be- impressive tirade. "Hermione, I think it's been clear so far that in the castle or not, he can get me if he wants. I feel like I'm being played with. At least in Hogsmeade we'll be in stores and whatnot. He can't get to me if we're in a crowd."

"It's hard to stay in a crowd if we're worried about keeping you from being found out. It's not difficult for him to wait until we're alone."

"And we'll think of something," Harry said. "We always do. I promise, this will be the last time I sneak out while he's still on the run."

Hermione, in truth, had decided she'd stay behind as well. She hadn't had much time to think about what Sirius said to her. Despite what Remus had told her, that he'd been looking for a way that Sirius could be innocent and hadn't found one, she kept thinking there had to be. From the pictures she'd found in the library, and the ones she'd seen in Remus' rooms, they were very much in love- at least as much as people said James and Lily Potter were. You didn't just fall out of love like that, and even when she and Ron fought, she'd never sell out any of her friends for anything. They had to be missing something.

She had hoped to explore that train of thought some more, maybe talk to Remus about it, but she couldn't let Harry and Ron going off on their own like that. She sighed, admitting defeat to the boys' whims. Harry grinned at her when she did that, covering her hand with his own and squeezing it in thanks.

So the next weekend, early on Saturday morning, she and Ron left for Hogsmeade with the rest of the Gryffindors- minus Neville. Harry and Ron said goodbye to each other very clearly, to which Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled Ron away with her. Honestly. Did they think that would have fooled anyone? Lockhart would have seen through that.

By the time Harry made it out to Hogsmeade, Hermione was wringing her hands in concern at how late he was. Despite the scare she got when he poked both she and Ron from under his Invisibility Cloak, she was glad he'd come and not been caught- by a teacher _or_ Sirius Black. They entered Zonko's, which Hermione had _not_ been keen on going into, and bought Harry and Ron both some 'supplies'. They completely bypassed the Three Broomsticks, both not wanting to be kept indoors, and still remembering their last visit. Slowly, the three of them climbed the slope to overlook the Shrieking Shack.

Hermione now knew the truth of it, that it wasn't haunted, only occupied by a werewolf on occasion. She wouldn't be surprised if Professor Dumbledore encouraged such rumors of it being haunted, and she certainly didn't correct Ron when he recounted them to Harry.

"Even the Hogwarts ghosts avoid it," he said. "I asked Nearly Headless Nick... he says he's heard a very rough crowd lives there. No one can get in. Fred and George's tried, obviously, but all the entrances are shut..."

He was cut off by a sneering voice the three instantly recognized. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle climbing up the other side of the hill. "...should have an owl from Father any time now. He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm... about how I couldn't use it for three months..."

Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron's face got red, the way she imagined Harry's would be if he wasn't under the cloak. "I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself... that hippogriff's as good as dead-"

Malfoy suddenly caught sight of she and Ron, his pale face splitting in an evil grin. "Shopping for a new home? Must be better than living in the muggle world or with Weaselbee's family. Oi, Weasley, don't your family live in, uh, one room?"

He snickered to Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him like a guard of stupid, protecting him from pulling his head out of his... well... Hermione's mother wouldn't approve of that sort of language.

Hermione only just caught the back of Ron's robes to keep him from leaping onto Malfoy, feeling Harry's invisible hands helping her. She blushed, but she could tell herself that was the cold. She didn't adjust her hand, she could explain that it would be suspicious. But his hands leave, with a whispered promise of revenge.

"We were just discussing your friend, Hagrid," Malfoy continued. "Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his hippogriff's-"

Suddenly Malfoy had a face full of mud, his head whipping to the side with a _SPLAT!_ His silver hair was suddenly dripping with the muck and Ron erupted in laughter, guffawing and holding himself up by the fence post. Hermione was much more lady-like, her smirk silent and condescending as Crabbe and Goyle both looked around in terror.

Ron calmed down enough to comment, "Very haunted up here, isn't it?"

Malfoy angrily tried to wipe away the brown from his face and hair. Crabbe and Goyle got it next, foul smelling green slime hitting them both perfectly in the face. They both spun around, hopping and wiping it out of their eyes. It was then Hermione let her laugh out, chuckling at their faces- stuck between terror and fury.

Then it seemed Crabbe, or maybe it was Goyle- she imagined them both unsure of which was which, much like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern- tripped over Harry's leg; making the cloak slip off of his head. Malfoy saw, staring and pointing with an angry howl coming out of his mouth before he raced back up the hill towards the school. Harry immediately put the cloak back on, but it was done. There was no question that Malfoy was going to rat him out.

Harry went back towards the castle using the secret passage under Honeyduke's, and Hermione and Ron followed using the real path. They knew Harry would get there first, and hoped he wouldn't be caught, as they raced back. Just past the gates, they were stopped by Hagrid who was just coming back from the hearing. Ron went on a few yards, looking back desperately. Someone had to be there to collaborate whatever story Harry came up with. She severely hoped it was at least a believable one, but it _was_ Harry.

"You go," she said. "Try Snape's office."

No doubt Malfoy would go to his Head of House, know it was the teacher who hated Harry. True or not, Snape would choose to believe anything so long as Harry was the bad guy in it. As much as she respected the Potions Master, she couldn't argue against that truth. It was like trying to say water was dry or the desert was wet.

* * *

Remus had been having such a good day, grading and sipping his tea. He was very impressed with how well his students were doing, confident in their capabilities for the end of year exams. Especially considering some of their past professors. He'd known Lockhart in school, and from what he'd heard of the man, he hadn't changed much.

That was before his fireplace flared green and a voice came out of it. "Lupin! I want a word!"

There went his good mood. He hoped this wasn't another attempt to question Remus on how he was helping Sirius. Remus wished he was. That would mean he felt like he had a reason, and wasn't fearing for his daughter and godson. He stood with a sigh, laying his quill down and heading through the Floo. He brushed ash off of his robes, looking up mildly.

"You called, Severus?" He always made a point of using the other man's first name, wanting to put their less than pleasant past behind them, and knowing it irritated him to no end.

"I certainly did," Snape said tightly. "I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."

He pointed to a piece of parchment lying on his desk that Remus would have recognized anywhere. The Marauders Map. He could see the shimmer of the insults from his short distance, his back straightening as he forced his expression to be calm and stoic. It had been Peter's idea to make the map insult anyone who didn't have the password, and they'd used James' handwriting as it was the most legible of the four of them. Sirius used to choke that Remus' looked like Moony wrote it, Peter's had always been so small you couldn't read it without a magnifying spell, and Sirius' was so convoluted with the flourishes ingrained by his mother.

"Well?" Snape asked.

He kept staring at it, wondering how Harry could have _possibly_ gotten his hands on it. The irony of Hogwarts never ceased to astound him. How was he going to explain it? Of course, he had no doubt Severus had seen them with it before as children. If Remus lied, would Snape call him on it? Most likely. Ignorance wasn't always a good defense, but it might be the only one at the moment.

" _Well?_ " Snape demanded again. "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your are of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?"

Remus looked up, making short eye contact with Harry and pleading with an expression that he agree to whatever Remus said. It had always been Remus' job to get the Marauders out of trouble, always the one to come up with their defense and excuses. If he could convince McGonagall Sirius was colorblind, and _that_ was the reason Severus' shampoo was 'accidentally' switched with red hair dye, he could do this.

"Full of Dark Magic?" He repeated. "Do you really think so, Severus?It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anyone who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous. I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop-"

Snape interrupted, his face red and only barely containing his temper. His jaw was tight and he'd gone rigid. Not for the first time, Remus regretted the antics against him while they still attended Hogwarts.

"Indeed?" He asked carefully, his voice not hiding his anger. "You think it a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it _directly from the manufacturers_?"

Remus forced his face not to react. No. If things were different, he'd expect Hermione and Harry to have gotten it as a joint gift before their first year. But they weren't.

"You mean by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?" He asked. "Harry, do you know any of these men?"

Harry very truthfully shook his head, and Remus felt very bad for it. No, he supposed he _wouldn't_ know any of them. Two were dead, one was a murderer, and the other his teacher. How different life could have been.

"You see, Severus? It looks like a Zonko product to me-"

At that moment Ron came bursting into the room, without Hermione Remus noted, completely out of breath. He wheezed and held a stitch in his chest, using one hand to lean on Snape's desk to catch his breath. "I- gave- Harry- that- stuff. Bought it... in Zonko's... ages ago."

Remus almost let out a sigh of relief, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully. "Well! That seems to clear that up. Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?"

He picked the map up off the desk and tucked it inside his robes. In no way was he giving it back. Not with Sirius still out there. He'd know it for what it was immediately, just as Remus had. "Harry, Ron, come with me, I need to have a word about my vampire essay. Excuse us, Severus."

He harshly guided the boys down the corridor and out of the dungeons before addressing them. He looked around to be sure no one was there to listen in, interrupting Harry when he tried to explain.

"I don't want to hear explanations," he said shortly. "I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map."

They'd never seen Mr. Filch so happy as the day he took it from them, the four of them being caught outside the kitchens in the middle of their seventh year. Harry and Ron both looked amazed that he knew. Oh the stories he could tell...

"I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, _astounded_ that you didn't hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information lying around the castle. I cannot let you have it back, Harry."

Hermione had to have known about it. He'd thought she was so responsible, such a good head on her shoulders- what with what happened at Christmas.

"Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"

Remus wasn't sure how to answer. "Because... because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of the school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."

And oh, would they have. They'd have made a sport of it. Remus could imagine the smirk on Sirius' face, the grin on James'. "Did you know them?"

Harry looked impressed, and it made Remus even more sorry for how things were. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. "We've met."

If James had heard Remus say this, he'd have decked him or laughed at the irony. "Don't expect me to cover for you again. I cannot make you take Sirius seriously, but I'd have thought that what you have heard when the dementors draw near that you would have more respect for the situation. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, and this is a pretty poor way of repaying them- gambling their sacrifices for a bag of magic tricks."

Remus, before he could give anything away or say something else he'd feel guilty for later, turned and left to continue his grading- understandably less content than when he'd left it.

* * *

Unfortunately, when Hermione told Harry and Ron about the unsuccessful trial, the safety measures for Sirius Black made it impossibly for them to go visit him. They had to wait for Care of Magical Creatures on Monday. It was no use, Hagrid told them. Hermione could agree that Lucius Malfoy had them all in his pocket. No doubt he had blackmail, but Hermione was fuming at the failure- which is what she saw this as. And her parents had raised her not to believe in such things.

She was glaring at everything, stomping her way back to the castle after lessons with Harry and Ron trying to keep up. As they neared the castle, they could still hear Hagrid's wailing mixed with the loud laughter from Malfoy. He, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing at the castle doors, listening in with grins and cackling.

"Look at him blubber!" Malfoy exclaimed gleefully. The other two laughed along. "Have you ever seen anything so pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Harry and Ron make angry moves towards the Slytherin, unaware of the pair watching the scene from a distance. Rage flooded her, making her nostrils flair and her eyes narrow as she grit her teeth, making it to Malfoy before her friends could and slapping him. It hurt. She knew it had to have hurt because her hand felt like it was on fire and the boy staggered, looking at her with wide, shocked, eyes. Like he'd never seen anything like her.

* * *

Sirius couldn't help the barking laughter that came out of his mouth as Padfoot. He'd taken to staying in his animagus form in the event he should be seen. His daughter just slapped Lucius Malfoy's son. He couldn't have been more proud. Merlin, did she look like him when she was angry.

No doubt it surprised the little prick, the physical violence. James and Sirius had both been stunned the first time, in first year, when Snivellous had attacked James with fists. It was such a foreign concept in the pureblood world, and he thoroughly approved of Remus having apparently raised her at least partially in the muggle world.

He watched his daughter's redheaded friend try to hold her back as she whipped her wand out and the three cowardly Slytherins ran off. He'd always liked Hagrid, rock cakes aside, and he was glad she and Harry seemed close to him the way he never was. Lily had been. In their early years, he remembered stalking Lily and Snape with James. They would go down to the man's hut on weekends for tea.

 _Don't worry,_ he thought to her. _I'll fix this. I'll fix all of this._

* * *

The morning of the Quidditch Final, Hermione, Ron, and Neville trudged through the dew covered field- half awake- to the Gryffindor stands. No one could remember the last time a match was so anticipated. The tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin had never been so thick. Each wore their colors from head to toe that morning, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff torn between the two. There were shouts and cheers calling out, "GO GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP!" Slytherins waved flags, each with a silver serpent glittering. Even Professor Snape, who had the reputation for only wearing black, wore green like the rest of them with a very grim- barely there smile.

Hermione's eyes immediately found Harry, as was the first thing she always did, only vaguely listening to Lee Jordan as he began the introductions. The Captains both shook hands, there was a cal to mount brooms, a whistle, and the fourteen players rose into the air. Hermione could hear Ron muttering under his breath each opening, each way for a goal, each instruction he was barely stopping himself from shouting out. He was absolutely irate when the Slytherins began fighting dirty, even dirtier than was their reputation. The entirety of the red and gold house was in an uproar.

"THIRTY-ZERO," Lee Jordan shouted through the stadium as commentator. "TAKE THAT YOU DIRTY, CHEATING-"

Only to be scolded by Professor McGonagall. Hermione wondered how less exciting the game would be if Lee was neutral in his comments like he was supposed to be. In honesty, his comments and the fact that her friends were on the team were the only reasons she came to the games at all. She could certainly have used this time to study.

Hermione was on her feet and screaming along with everyone, however, when Malfoy grabbed hold of Harry's broom to keep him from the Snitch- succeeding as it disappeared again. Lee Jordan danced out of McGonagall's reach, her hat having fallen off as she was torn between controlling Lee and shouting her own anger.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM! YOU CHEATING, FILTHY B-"

Angelina Johnson scored again as Hermione watched Harry dive towards a golden glint. Malfoy was already almost there. Hermione grabbed Neville and Ron's arms with each hand, not meaning to dig her nails into them. But Harry reached out, his hand shooting into the air in triumph. And the cup, was won.

* * *

The leftover excitement from winning the Quidditch Cup lasted a week, before the scramble for exams resumed. Hermione had even shared a table with Fred and George in the library as they studied for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels. She was thankful that Harry and Ron had given up asking her how she got to each class, until they saw her exam schedule.

"Hermione?" Ron had asked. "Are you sure you've copied these down correctly?"

"Of course I have," she replied shortly. "Have either of you seen my copy of _Numerology and Grammatica_?"

It was absurd, once they heard back about Buckbeak's appeal, that they'd bring an executioner along. She was absolutely certain that violated every civil right out there- another thing to write to the Minister about. And she intended to. They weren't even going to give him the chance! And after all the work she and the boys did, Ron having taken over with her classes and Harry's Quidditch. But, she was sad to say it was quickly forgotten as exams began.

Turning her teapot into a tortoise was disheartening when she saw that her tortoise looked more like a turtle, but it was better than some others. Neville's breathed steam, and Ron's had a spout for a nose. Cheering Charms _were_ on the exam from the Charms lesson she'd missed, but luckily it was fairly simple and George had been gracious enough to let her practice on him if she returned the favor for his shield charm for her father's class. She was sure, despite Professor Snape's mild sneer, that her Confusing Concoction was perfect. Astronomy and History of Magic both, hadn't been as hard as she'd expected. Arithmancy had been an exciting nightmare, and Muggle Studies a horror in how wrong everything was. It was no wonder purebloods thought themselves superior if _this_ is what they were being taught. Her last exam, was her father's.

She'd not face the boggart before, not having had the chance their first lesson, and was very nervous as she approached the obstacle course he'd designed as the exam; full of Red Caps, grindylows, and hinkypunks. She felt she was doing well, until she entered the trunk to find Harry laying on the ground, bloodied and still. A scream left her as she quickly left the trunk again, not bothering to fight it- instead fighting tears that sprang to her eyes. It looked so real. It had the small scar on his jaw and every thing, dressed in torn Gryffindor robes with wide, unseeing eyes.

"Hermione!" Remus had shouted, alarmed. "What's the matter?"

"P-P-Professor McGonagall," she said, gasping the first thing that came to mind. How much would they laugh at her if they really knew what it had been? "She-she said I'd failed everything."

She didn't think Remus believed her, but she knew Ron and Harry would. Luckily the event was wiped from the front of her mind when they saw Cornelius Fudge, the slimeball, standing on the castle steps.

"Hello there, Harry," he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," he said. Hermione pursed her lips to keep from scolding the lime colored man.

Fudge looked around the grounds. "Lovely day," he said. "Pity... pity... I'm on unpleasant business, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Hermione asked, not being able to stop herself.

He looked at her curiously, as though recognizing her from somewhere and trying to pinpoint where. "No, no, it's set for this afternoon."

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all," Ron said hotly. "The hippogriff might get off!"

Two men came to speak to Fudge then, one carrying an ax and looking very malevolent as he ran his broad thumb along the blade of it. Hermione, Ron, and Harry went into the school to stop themselves from saying anything more that might get them into trouble, the two boys heading towards the Northern Tower to take their Divination exams.

When Harry came in from his last exam, Hermione and Ron had just read Hagrid's note. His hand seemed to have been shaking so hard when he wrote it that it was barely legible and, despite his asking them not to, Hermione stormed down to the one-eyed witch statue to retrieve Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

 **A/N: About to start chapter nine and then bed. Obviously the next chapter will have the confrontation in the Skrieking Shack and their visit to Hagrid. However, I doubt it will include all the way up to them running from Remus as Moony, much less the Time-Turner part. I haven't written much about that, I know. I hate doing it. I can never get it to go smoothly and it always ends up a jumbled mess, which I hope my story does not resemble. There were mentions of the twins, as I absolutely love them. I'd have liked to see Hermione end up with one of them. I think it would have been MUCH better suited than she and Ron, but hey. Oh well.**

 **Meh.**

 **What did you think of Sirius' small part? Remus' thought on the scene Harry gets caught? Hermione seeing Harry as the boggart? Let me know in the towel section. Dasvidanya, Mia.**


	9. Novem

Chapter nine: Novem

The sun was already sinking when the three of them, slipped under Harry's cloak, knocked on Hagrid's door. He didn't answer for a moment, and when he did he was obviously not expecting it to be them- looking around frantically with a tremble and a pale face.

"It's just us," Harry hissed.

Hagrid stepped back to let them in. "Yeh shouldn've come!"

Hagrid wasn't crying this time like he was the last time they were there, nor did he throw himself upon their necks- for which Hermione was incredibly grateful. He looked like a desperate man who didn't know what to do. The helplessness was worse than the previously mentioned tears.

"Wan' some tea?" He asked them, shaking hands reaching for the kettle.

Hermione cautiously asked where Buckbeak was upon not seeing the hippogriff in his designated corner of Hagrid's hut. Hagrid didn't wail, but his grip slipped on the milk jug- making it shatter on the ground.

"I-I took him outside. He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an'- an' smell the fresh air before..."

He moved to clean the milk, but Hermione hurried over first. "I'll do it," she said.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do?" Harry asked with a small tone of discomfort. "Dumbledore..."

"He's tried," Hagrid said grimly. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's alright, but they're scared... Yeh know what Lucius is like. They _wanted_ me fired, but it was Dumbledore's right to refuse that. Great man, Dumbledore."

Hagrid swallowed, his eyes darting around as if expecting MacNair the executioner to jump out suddenly. Seeming to convince himself he wasn't, he continued. "He's coming down while it- while it happens. Wrote me this morning. Says he wants ter... ter be with me."

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," Hermione insisted from rummaging for another milk jug.

"Yeh're to go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don't want yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn't be here anyway... If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble. Remus wouldn't want you out either, Hermione."

She knew he was right, more about Harry than her. They'd have some tea and go back to the castle before curfew, she told herself, turning around and letting out a shriek. In the empty milk jug, shaking and trying to back up more where he couldn't, was Scabbers.

"Ron!" She exclaimed. "I-I don't believe it! It's _Scabbers_!"

Ron's head snapped up from awkwardly examining the table. "What are you talking about?"

She came over and overturned the jug, making the rat slide out onto the table with a frantic squeak. Ron immediately grabbed him as he struggled, seeming to want to get back in the jug. He was thinner than ever, with more bald patches as he wriggled.

"It's okay, Scabbers," Ron said, trying to pacify the poor thing. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

Hagrid stood up suddenly, his eyes looking sadly out the window. "They're coming," he said. "Yeh gotta go. They mustn't find yeh here..."

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the discarded Invisibility Cloak as Hagrid pushed them towards the back door. They could hear the unmistakable hum of Professor Dumbledore's voice getting closer.

"Hagrid," Harry said. "They can't. We'll tell them what really happened..."

"Go!" Hagrid said more urgently. "Hermione, get him back to the castle."

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him as they heard a knock coming from Hagrid's front door. Harry resisted for a moment, before relenting and they crept away, but close enough to hear. Scabbers was scratching Ron's leg through his pants, trying to fight his way out of the pocket. They stood on the sloping lawn, just in view of the castle. They could hear the voices over the shrieks of Scabbers trying to get away.

"Ron, make him stop. We have to go; come on, before they do it."

"It's Scabbers," he told her. "He won't stay put."

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand tighter. "I don't want to see it, please. Let's get ou-"

But she was interrupted with a swoosh, and the thud of an ax. A silence followed and Hermione let out a startled, wavering breath. "They did it," she whispered. "They-they really did it."

They began to head back to the castle, walking in a way they'd perfected that was easiest under the cloak. Hermione kept thinking to herself, the different books she could have read, the wording she could have stressed to Hagrid, more she could have done. Why didn't they simply untie Buckbeak?

"Hagrid," Harry muttered beside her, making to turn back.

Hermione grabbed his arms to stop him. "We can't," Ron said. "He'll be in worse trouble if they knew we went to see him, 'specially with Fudge there."

The light was fading fast now, by the time they reached open ground. The dark was happening so that it felt like they were trying to out run it as it settled behind them with each step. Hermione rubbed the sleeves of her jacket, the thin material not doing much as it got chillier outside- despite it being summer.

"Scabbers, be still," Ron said in a loud whisper, clamping his hand over the rat. He came to a halt to situate the animal. "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still- OUCH! He bit me!"

"Ron, be quiet," Hermione urged, glancing back. "Fudge'll be out any minute. It's already after curfew..."

"He... won't... stay... put!" Scabbers looked manic, squeaking madly and wriggling about- trying to break free from Ron's grip.

Hermione gasped, seeing Crookshanks' wide, yellow eyes slinking towards them. Hermione moaned, desperate not to have the fight with Ron again. "Crookshanks! No, go away. Go away!"

But Scabbers finally slipped from Ron's hand and fell to the ground, running off into the dark. In a bound, Crookshanks was after him. Ron threw the cloak off of him and ran after them both before Hermione or Harry could stop him.

"Ron, no!" She shouted as they followed as well, the cloak streaming behind them like a cape or a shimmery banner.

They could hear Ron's breathing, broken and jumbled as he ran ahead of them. They could hear the rat's shrieks and Ron's pleading and shouts. There was a thump and Hermione and Harry nearly tripped over their friend, who held Scabbers in his hand triumphantly. Then, there was a soft pounding of gigantic paws... something bounding toward them from behind. Hermione whipped around to an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.

The dog made an enormous leap at Harry, who was trying to reach for his wand- the giant paws hitting him square in the chest and they tumbled. He could hear Hermione scream, who pulled out her own wand but was unable to do anything- terrified she would hit Harry. As soon as they stopped rolling, the now dazed thing- that Hermione insisted to herself was _not_ a Grim- stood, ready for it's next attack.

Which, apparently, was Ron- growling and bounding forward. Harry tried to lunge at him, coming up with handfuls of the dog's fur. Hermione shot off a curse that lit them in blue, showing her and Harry as the dog dragged Ron easily. Ron screamed and Harry moved to make chase again, when out of nowhere something hit him so hard in the face, he was knocked off his feet again. Hermione heard his _oof_ , and tried to see what the matter was, only to receive a similar blow to the abdomen.

The Whomping Willow.

Harry had the right idea, light erupting from his wand to show the dog- at the base of the tree that seemed open into a large gap. Ron was fighting without success as both he and the dog slipped out of sight.

"Harry, we have to go get help!"

She knew that where the tunnel lead, knowing it's original purpose for being made. She knew they needed Remus, and maybe Professor Snape, at least. But Harry refused. "No! That thing was big enough to eat him! We haven't got time."

He darted forward, trying to avoid the trees limbs as they came for him. Hermione rushed after him, not sure what either of them were doing, but Harry wasn't doing it without _her_. Another switch came at her, she could see the swift movement as her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she grabbed at it- not thinking it would work. But it wrapped itself around her wrist and jerked her up into the air by it so hard, she both heard and felt the painful _pop_.

Then suddenly, the tree stopped.

The switch around her hand slacked and she fell, directly into Harry and knocking them both down. Her wrist was throbbing and already swelling up. She wouldn't be able to use her wand too much for a while. When she looked up, Crookshanks was looking back from the underground tunnel.

"Crookshanks," she scolded. "How did-"

"He's friends with that dog," Harry growled. "I've seen them together. Come on, and keep your wand out."

They began to follow the tunnel, Harry's wand lighting the way and Hermione's lightly in her hand as she followed. She could hear both of them breathing, their steps cracking over leaves and twigs. There was a creaking. The tunnel began to rise, twisting, and then coming to a room.

"We're in the Shrieking Shack," Hermione whispered, shaking now. "This is where Papa..."

But she trailed off, and Harry didn't say anything about it. Paper peeled from the walls, stains littered the floor covered in debris. The windows were boarded, furniture was smashed, large chunks of wood were torn out of the floor.

"Ghosts didn't do this," Harry said.

"No," she conceded.

There was a creak over head, and they both looked up. Hermione had never been more scared, a sentence she had repeated much more in the three years she'd known Harry than the previous eleven. But she followed him still, as they crept down the hall to the stairs and began to ascend. There was dust everywhere aside from a strip in the center where it looked as though something heavy had been dragged.

They opened the door, finding a large, magnificent four poster bed- dusty and broken and seeming to serve as Crookshanks' throne. Beside it, with his obviously broken leg, was Ron. He clutched his leg to him, despite it sticking out at an odd angle, and did _not_ look pleased to see them.

Harry went to his one side, and Hermione to the other, but it was Harry that spoke. "Ron- are you okay? Where's the dog?"

"We have to get out of here," Hermione urged desperately, having an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Can you carry-"

"It's not a dog," Ron moaned in pain. "Harry, Hermione, it's a trap..."

"What-"

 _"_ _He's the dog... he's an Animagus..."_

Hermione was the first one to turn around, where Ron was staring behind their shoulders. Out of the shadows, stepped Sirius Black. He looked the same as he had that night in Gryffindor Tower; his matted hair, that was just like hers, down to his elbows, the same dead eyes that now held a whisper of a spark, his yellow teeth bared in a grin that looked much like a dog's...

" _Expelliarmus!"_ He croaked, waving Ron's wand at them. Both wands jumped and shot towards him. He stepped closer and Hermione pulled Harry back a step until they were against the wall. Sirius Black was looking at her with such a heartbroken expression, his gaze going back and forth between she and Harry.

"I thought you'd both come and help your friend," he said quietly. She knew it was because of it's hoarseness. "Both Remus and James would have done the same for me. Glad Remus raised you right. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful... it will make everything much easier."

It hadn't occurred to Hermione, that he wouldn't know she was adopted. He seemed to know enough about her. Had he not heard her last name? Had he not heard them referring to her as muggle-born? Suddenly, Harry started forward beside her- but she and Ron both grabbed him before he could.

"No!" she gasped, but Ron spoke directly to Sirius. Very bravely, she thought.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" He said as he stood up, swaying on the spot and paling as he did so.

To punctuate his remark, Hermione stood protectively in front of Harry- shivering at the smile it got out of the murderer in front of them. Sirius looked down at Ron softly. "Lie down," he said quietly. "You'll damage that leg even more."

But Ron clung to she and Harry in an effort to stay upright. "Did you hear me?" He asked weakly, his voice not as threatening. "You'll have to kill all three of us. You'd kill your own daughter?"

His tone may not have sounded as strong, but it was challenging. Sirius Black looked at her sadly, as though trying to memorize every part of her. As if trying to drink the image of her to save for later. "There'll be only one murder tonight," he said quietly.

"Why's that?" Harry spat. "Gone soft in Azkaban? The muggles and Pettigrew a bit too much for you?"

"Harry, please," Hermione begged, struggling to hold on to him as he tried to get away. "Be quiet!"

But Harry ripped out of her hands and lunged forward. Hermione could see the shock on Sirius Black's face, stunned before he could act and not raising his wand fast enough. Harry got to him first, grabbing his wrist and trying to hit him at the same time that they both fell back against the wall. Hermione heard herself scream as jets of light shot from the wands, only barely missing Harry's face. Then, as she went forward to do something- _anything_ \- she saw a thin, wasted hand grab Harry's throat and she heard a choking sound.

She wasn't sure where she kicked him, but she'd kicked as hard as she could and it definitely made him let go of Harry. Harry lunged for the dropped wands and she grabbed hers, backing out of the way at Harry's shout.

He was pointing his own wand at Sirius Black's heart. But the man didn't flinch. "Going to kill me, Harry?"

"You killed my parents," Harry said in a shaky voice.

"I don't deny it. But if you knew the whole story-"

Harry echoed, "The whole story... You sold them to Voldemort. You betrayed Hermione and Professor Lupin. That's all I need to know."

Hermione stepped forward, touching Harry's other arm and making him jerk. "Harry," she whispered. "Please..."

"You've got to listen," Sirius Black said from the floor. "You'll regret it if you don't... you don't understand..."

"Harry," Hermione repeated, trying to keep focus on her and not him. "Harry, please. I need to know. I need to know the story."

He turned wide, pleadingly uncertain eyes to her. "They, they deserve to be... to be..."

She nodded. "I know, but-"

There were muffled footsteps coming from downstairs, but she didn't take her gaze away as Ron shouted from the bed. Sirius Black made a sudden movement, bringing Harry's attention back, but thundering steps raced up the stairs. The door burst open and in came Remus, wand raised and face pale as he purveyed the scene. Then, " _Expelliarmus!"_

He caught all three of their wands, moving into the room. Harry's shoulders fell, as if both shocked and disappointed that he'd lost the chance to avenge his parents. But Hermione knew the look on her father's face was not a rescuing one. Or, he wasn't rescuing _them_ at least. She felt hurt, worse than she was sure she'd ever felt before. She would admit to only hearing her blood pounding in her ears, the throbbing from her surely broken wrist that was already bruising worse than she'd seen. Then she saw her parents embrace like the long lost lovers they were.

"Papa," she whispered into the silence. Remus and Sirius separated, looking at her as she shook her head. "I-I don't believe it. I've been covering for you and talking to you, telling you everything even after... I defended you to Snape and you..."

"Hermione, let me explain."

"I trusted you," Harry added. "We both did, and you've been helping him this whole time."

Remus still tried to ask Hermione. "No, just let me explain."

Hermione tried to hold in her sobs. Was everything a lie? Had he only gotten to know her because of Harry? "He's a werewolf. I should have told everyone already, but I came to you. I trusted you. When Professor Snape-"

"They already know," he said quietly. "At least, the teachers do. I've _not_ been helping Sirius. I'll explain, look..."

He separated each of the students' wands and threw them to their owner. Hermione caught hers and looked down at it, looking back up to watch Remus put his own in his belt. "There. You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"

"The map," he said as the beginning of some long story. "The Marauders Map. I was in my office examining it..."

"You know how to work it," Ron asked from the bed.

"He helped write it," Hermione said quietly. "Professor McGonagall told me you were the Marauders."

Sirius frowned, not sure what to make of what Hermione'd been saying. "Why didn't _you_ tell her our stories, Moony?" He asked.

Remus flinched, avoiding the question that it was not the time to answer. "The important thing," he said, "is that I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

He began to pace, striking Harry and Ron both the similarities of father and daughter when they were explaining some long, convoluted story. So he knew about the Cloak. That didn't surprise her, knowing he had to have used it with James. And as soon as he said they left Hagrid accompanied by someone else, she knew it was Scabbers- but, did pets show on the map? But he was rambling now... until he stopped with an even gaze on Ron.

"Might I have a look at your rat?"

Cautiously, and after much duress, Ron pulled the still writhing Scabbers from his pocket. Remus came closer, seeming to hold his breath. "That's not a rat," he said.

"What d'you mean... of course he's a rat-"

"No," Sirius Black said. "He's a wizard."

"An animagus," Remus continued, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

* * *

Hermione gasped softly, feeling like what they'd said clicked a puzzle into place- what she needed to accept Sirius' innocence- but felt apprehension at it all the same. But, Peter Pettigrew was dead. Sirius killed him, didn't he?

"I meant to," Sirius Black growled. "But little Peter got the best of me. I can assure you, it won't happen again."

He lunged at Ron and the rat, landing on Ron's broken leg and eliciting a scream. Remus went forward, pulling Sirius off and pushing him back. "NO! You can't do it like that... they need to understand... we've got to explain..."

"We can explain afterwards," Sirius Black snarled, trying to get around Remus.

"NO!" Remus shouted again. "There's so much I messed up after you left, Siri, you've no idea; we have to do this right. Ron's kept him as a pet, and, Harry and Hermione deserve the truth. Your daughter deserves the truth!"

Sirius stopped fighting and looked at Hermione, who was shaking and holding her broken wrist to her as she listened and watched. He looked back to Ron. "Alright then. Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."

"I gave her up," Remus admitted quietly, barely above a whisper but heard by everyone.

Sirius' eyes snapped to him. "What? W-what do you mean 'gave her up'?"

Remus glanced to Hermione, who looked away. "I-I couldn't do it. You were gone, and James and Lily were gone- Peter. I'd been under investigation from the Ministry as a possible accomplice. The question of whether a werewolf could _raise_ a child was brought up. I had no job, no one to watch her when I got one. I, I gave her to a muggle couple. I hadn't seen her since then until the train ride here in September."

Sirius paled. "No," he said. "No. Tell me you didn't. She's our daughter, Remus. How could you-"

"I didn't feel like I had a choice," Remus said desperately. "We were young, and the world felt even darker _after_ the war than it did during. I had no one."

"Harry-"

"Did you think they'd give the Boy-Who-Lived to a werewolf, husband of the one perceived as the worst betrayer of them all? Godfather or not, he was sent to Lily's sister."

Sirius turned to look at Hermione head on, tears in his eyes. Harry stepped possessively in front of her and she let him, partially hiding her face in his back. She wanted desperately to change the topic, finding her words even if they were slightly muffled.

"Pettigrew _can't_ have been an animagus. He's not on the registry."

Remus chuckled lightly, weakly. "Right you are, little love. However, no one knew that there used to be three unregistered animagi running around Hogwarts. That's where all of this starts, I suppose, with my becoming a werewolf."

He broke off with a creak, where there was no one. "Hermione knows all of this, I've told her before when she figured it out. I was bitten when I was a very small boy. My parents tried everything, but there was no cure in those days. The potion Severus makes for me is a fairly recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see..."

Hermione _had_ heard all of this, but she listened all the same- watching both Sirius and Remus carefully and not sure how she felt about either. She listened to Remus explain about coming to Hogwarts and befriending James, Sirius, and Peter. Of course they would find out. From what Hermione'd heard and read, the Marauders were exceptionally gifted aside from Peter.

"And they didn't desert me at all," Remus told them with a faraway voice, as though remembering something precious. "Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" Harry asked. He'd relaxed a bit, no longer emanating his fury and hatred, but listening intently. He still stood close to Hermione, only having moved a bit.

"Yes. It took them the better part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were. Becoming an animagus can go horribly wrong- one reason the Ministry keeps such a close eye on those attempting. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. But, by the end of fifth year, they were able to."

It was amazing. She kept sneaking glances at Sirius, who was glaring at Scabbers. He'd been able to transform in his fifth year. She couldn't imagine such a thing. Would he... no. If things were different, she would want him to show her how, but they weren't and she wasn't sure where they were going with this story.

"How did that help you?" She asked, albeit impatiently.

"They couldn't keep me company as humans," he replied lightly, as though they were in class, "so they kept me company as animals. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They would sneak down to the Willow and Peter would hit the knob so they could pass. If Moony got out of hand, Padfoot- that was Sirius- was there to head me off."

Sirius seemed to twitch at that, as though remembering also- with a sense of better days. "Hurry up, Rem."

"I'm getting there," Remus said, proceeding to explain about their exploring. How they would go on midnight runs and howl together under the moon, writing the Map. Hermione tried to think of all the spells they'd had to have used to do it. She couldn't believe how selfish and foolish it was, suppose he'd bitten someone, and she said so."

Sirius smiled almost, looking at her with more life than she'd seen on him so far. He didn't think she'd realized how much she reminded him of Remus. Though, she seemed much more a responsible person than he or Remus had ever been- despite what everyone thought with Remus being Prefect. He'd had no qualms with using his badge to cause mischief. Sirius couldn't believe Remus had given away their daughter. Their Hermione. It had been the happiest day of their lives when she was born, gazing around at everything curiously- like she wanted to know how everything worked. She'd been perfect, the one perfect thing that neither of them could mess up.

He tried to be angry, he _wanted_ to be angry, but he was too overwhelmed with the situation. They were listening, Remus knew he was innocent, and he was standing near his daughter. She'd grown up more than he'd expected, despite keeping tracks of the days and the years with tallies on the walls of his cell. And she stood with Harry, best friends despite her being raised by other people. Harry looked so like James...

"... so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."

The name of their old rival caught him and he looked at his love, who was still his love. "Snape? What's Snape got to do with it?"

"He's here," Remus told him. "He's teaching here as well."

He turned to the children. "Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted, confronting me whenever possible. He has his reasons. You see, Sirius played a trick on him which nearly killed him. A trick involving me-"

"Served him right," Sirius snarled, surprised at his own vitriol. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to... hoping he could get us expelled..."

It had caused such a riff in the Marauders. It was the biggest fight he and Remus had ever been in, not talking for months. Sirius had been isolated, which only served as more fuel for his hatred of the Slytherin.

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," Harry said slowly. "Because he thinks you were in on the joke."

"That's right," a voice said, one that never failed to set Sirius on edge.

* * *

He hadn't changed much, Sirius marveled. The same voice, only deeper a little, the same greasy hair, the same snarl, the same wardrobe. Sirius was immediately full of anger, as he always was. He'd agreed with James their fifth year. It was more that he _existed_... it didn't help that his wand was pointd at Remus' chest. How dare he threaten Sirius' mate?

Sirius watched Snape's eyes flicker over his daughter and growled, causing Snape to look back to Remus. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here? I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map..."

"Snape," Remus said uncertainly, not using his first name this time. This was not the time to annoy him.

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," he interrupted gleefully, making everyone in the room straighten in fear. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this... He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin. Thought you were a _tame_ wolf... Not to mention your loving daughter. Tell me, Miss Granger, what do you think of him now?"

Sirius snarled at him, his disrespectful tone and the nerve that he spoke to _Sirius'_ daughter. "You fool," Remus said, not able to contain himself. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

Suddenly, with a _BANG!_ , thin, snakelike cords shot at Remus and twisted around him. He lost his balance and fell to the floor, unable to move. Sirius started towards Snape with a roar, only to have his wand aimed between Sirius' eyes. Hermione screamed, wanting to rush to Remus' aide.

"Give me a reason," Snape whispered to Sirius. "Give me a reason to do it and I swear I will."

Sirius didn't move, the two staring each other down. Hermione had never heard the professor speak with so much hatred, not even to Harry. She cautiously, shaking as she did, took a step towards him.

"Professor," she started respectfully, "it-it couldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, could it? I-I don't think they mean any harm."

Sirius looked over gratefully. "Hermione, love, it's okay. Go stand with Harry."

Professor Snape's voice was quiet, like he was trying to control himself. "Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school. You, Potter, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, _hold your tongue_."

Hermione wasn't sure what was coming over her. Maybe it was seeing her father threatened. "Actually, professor, the rules say nothing about secret tunnels- I expect because of Papa needing to use this for his transformations. And, technically, he was never given a trial and there for never convicted-"

Sirius couldn't help the grin that spread on his face, the way she explained the loophole. He and James had taken advantage of that plenty. She was perfect.

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Professor Snape had never yelled at her like this. In fact, she couldn't recall ever seeing him quite so confrontational- ignoring Sirius and Harry's shouts of "You can't talk to her like that!"

Hermione fell silent as Snape's attention returned to Sirius. "Vengeance is very sweet. How I hoped to be the one to catch you..."

Hermione shivered, but Sirius was unmoved. "Joke's on you again, Snivellous. As long as that boy brings his rat up to the castle, I'll come quietly."

"Up to the castle?" Snape repeated silkily, as though Sirius were confused. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, in fact, they may even give you a little kiss..."

Hermione gasped quietly, remembering what the Daily Prophet had said. "Oh yes," Snape continued. "The Dementors Kiss, said to be unbearable to watch- but I'll do my best..."

"You-you've got to hear me out," Sirius said, frightened for the first time that night. "The rat..."

"Professor, can't we take them to the headmaster-"

"NO! Miss Granger, you'd do well to think more of your own fate at this point. Come on, all of you. I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for him to..."

Harry crossed the room and blocked the doorway and Hermione took a step closer to both Sirius and Snape with the latter focused on him. Sirius gave her a look that clearly asked what she was doing. She didn't know, listening to Snape get louder and more dangerous looking as he shouted with Harry. Harry caught her eye and gave a subtle nod that Hermione mirrored. Still unsure, she raised her wand painfully.

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

She, Harry, and Ron shouted the spell at the same time- a bit too enthusiastically she thought, on their part- making Professor Snape slam into the wall, sliding down to the floor with a trickle of blood. She couldn't believe it. What had she been thinking? She attacked a teacher...

"You shouldn't have done that," Sirius said, though she wasn't sure if it was to her or Harry. "You should have left him to me."

"Because you were doing so well," she said before she could think better of it, but Sirius chuckled.

He moved to untie Remus, embracing him again when he stood and sharing the first kiss they had since his arrest. It was short and perfect and Sirius' eyes were _not_ teary. "Are you okay?" He asked when he pulled back. Remus nodded, looking to Hermione who was watching with an expression he couldn't decipher.

"What's happened to your hand, little love?"

Hermione looked down at her wrist, having forgotten about it. It explained why it hurt so much to hold her wand. Remus made to pull his own wand back out, likely to help her, but Harry raised his own again.

"We're not saying we believe you," he said, pulling Hermione towards him protectively.

"Then it is time we offered you some proof. Ron, give me Peter, please. Now."

Ron clutched the still wriggling Scabbers closer. "You're mental. Say Pettigrew could turn into a rat- who's to say it's this one? There are millions of rats out there."

Remus looked to Sirius, not having moved away too far. "That's a fair question, Sirius. How _did_ you know?"

Sirius pulled out a crumpled newspaper from his robes, trying to straighten it as best he could. Hermione recognized the picture as the one all the Weasley's had been in- their visit to Egypt. Hermione recalled hearing Fudge say Sirius had asked for a paper, but hadn't mentioned he'd actually _given_ it to him...

"My God," Remus said, looking back and forth between the rat and the picture. It showed his muggle roots when he said that. No one only raised in the Wizarding World would have said that. "His front paw."

"What about it?" Ron said defiantly.

"He's missing a toe," Sirius pointed out.

Hermione's eyes widened. "All they could find left of Pettigrew was his-"

"Finger!" Sirius finished. "Traitor cut it off himself when I cornered him... Shouted for everyone to hear that _I_ had betrayed them before blowing the street apart with his wand behind his back and ran off before I could do anything!"

It _was_ a smart idea, she supposed. What maniac would cut off his own finger? Obviously someone who was faced with that or death.

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" Ron shouted, trying to explain Scabbers' change in health over the summer.

"But," Hermione said. "That's how we found Crookshanks to begin with, you needed tonic for him. You blamed it on Egypt, but it didn't happen until you came back. Suppose... suppose it's true..."

"'Mione!" Ron whimpered.

Remus interrupted. "I suppose faking his death worked the first time, he might as well do it again. Hermione, you even told me your doubts of how things happened. You yourself mentioned his lost toe, I just didn't think about it at the time."

She shook her head as Harry said, "And why would he need to fake his death? Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents! And now you've come to finish him off."

"Yes," Sirius agreed darkly. "I have."

"Then I should have let Snape take you!"

Hermione watched Remus turn to Harry desperately. "No, don't you see? This whole time we thought _Sirius_ betrayed your parents and _Peter_ tracked him down, but it's the opposite-"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP, HE SAID HE'D KILLED THEM!"

Hermione tried to calm Harry down by a hand on his arm, but he pulled away from her- breaking her heart a bit. He was pointing his wand at Sirius and seething. Sirius looked away.

"I as good as killed them," he said quietly. "I persuaded Lily and James to use Peter instead. I thought I would be too predictable. The night they died I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was safe. Remus- you remember that. When I arrived, he was gone. There was no struggle and it, it just didn't feel right, so I went to check on Lily and James. I-I found their bodies, the house was destroyed, and there you were. I handed you off to Hagrid and went after Peter."

Remus looked at Sirius worriedly and steeled his expression. Why hadn't he told him? Why hadn't he known? They didn't think... "Enough of this. Ron, _give me that rat_."

Hermione'd never heard his voice so dark and Ron paled. "Wh-what are you going to do to him if I do?"

"Force him to show himself," Remus said. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him. I promise."

"Ron," Hermione said quietly. "Please."

Ron nodded after another moment's hesitation. Then he held Scabbers out to Remus, who took him and made Scabbers go even more wild. But Remus was careful to keep a tight grip. "Ready, Sirius?" He asked, his face full of love and relief at his husband.

Sirius returned the look, Hermione watching her parents with slight awe. "Together," he said quietly.

Blue-white light shot from Remus' wand and Snape's that Sirius was using, making it's target squeak and fall to the floor. Suddenly, as though watching a tree sprout in fast forward, a head drew up the floor. Once the light subsided, they were astounded to see it. Hermione'd believed them, but would admit to still being shook. He was short, barely taller than she or Harry, with long, unkempt hair and a bald spot. He had the same pointed nose and beady, watery eyes as Scabbers, his eyes darting to the door and back to the two men whose wands were steadied in his direction.

"Hello, Peter," Remus said in the same tone he might use if Hermione had come around for tea. "Long time, no see. What's it been, twelve years?"

It was repulsive, making Hermione sick to her stomach as he was nearly grovelling in his greeting. Had he always been like this? Harry moved close to her again, his wand ready where hers was painful to hold. Her wrist was still throbbing.

"He's come to try to kill me," Peter, though her mind still wanted to call him Scabbers, was sobbing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's come for me too. I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me."

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" Remus asked incredulously, with a hint of sarcasm. "When no one'd ever done it before?"

Peter's shout was shrill, desperate. "He has dark power the rest of us could only dream of! How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks."

Hermione was proud to hear Sirius use Voldemort's name, in the stead of a stupid hyphened one people preferred. It spoke volumes to his innocence, she thought, that he should use it and Peter would flinch. It made sense that Peter would be hiding from Voldemort's supporters. It made sense they would want him after the monster's downfall indirectly caused by Peter.

"Papa," she said quietly. He turned towards her as she got closer, avoiding Peter. "Scabbers, well, I mean, this man, he's been sleeping in Harry's dorm for three years. If he's working with... Voldemort... how come he never tried to hurt Harry before?"

Peter nearly jumped up and down, pointing until Sirius snarled at him. "There! You see, Remus? I have never hurt Harry. Why should I?"

She accepted his cowardice that Sirius explained. "You weren't going to commit murder under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power. No. You have be friends with the biggest bully in the playground. It just used to be us."

She wasn't sure how to address Sirius, now that she was convinced of his innocence. So she didn't use a name. "If you don't mind my asking... how _did_ you escape Azkaban, if there was no Dark Magic involved?"

"I-I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so it was mine to have. I kept thinking about you and Remus on your own, thinking I'd killed our best friends. It helped me kept my mind, my sanity... when it became too much, I transformed and became a dog. Dementors can't see, you know... They feel their way toward people by their feelings, their emotions. My emotions are much less human, less complex, as Padfoot. They just thought I was losing myself like everyone else there..."

He paused, shaking his head like a bad dream. "But then I saw Peter on the paper and I realized he was here, at Hogwart's, with you and Harry. I've kept track. I remembered each birthday... so you see, I had a mission. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive. It wasn't a happy thought... it turned to an obsession. I had to get here. So, when they opened the door to bring food, I slipped through as a dog. I was so thin I could fit through the bars... I swam to the mainland and made my way here. I watched you both, at Quidditch games and whenever you'd go to visit Hagrid. Harry, you fly as well as your father. Hermione, our little love..."

Harry nodded and Hermione took two rushed steps to hug him, the way Remus had the first night they talked. He seemed surprised, hesitating before returning it as though he were awed.

 **A/N: Hope the end wasn't too sappy, but I liked it. I apologize for the last chapter feeling so rushed. Really I just wanted to start this one. Part two of this chapter will be soon, I'm heading to start it as soon as i post this.**

 **What do you think? What did you think of Sirius' reaction, subdued as it was? I will avoid writing any angst regarding Remus and Sirius, or even Hermione and the two. I think it's very understandable from Remus' view, giving Hermione for adoption. I'm not excusing it, but honestly? It's a fanfiction. I hope it doesn't put you off. Soon we will be heading to summer where we hear about the Grangers. Do you think she should move in with Remus? Or stay home?**

 **What do you think of Snape? Hermione? Harry's protectiveness? Let me know in the towel section and I am always up for ideas or suggestions. A special thank you to Luna's Magic, who has been messaging with me back and forth with ideas and conversation.**

 **Dasvidanya, Mia.**


	10. Decem

Chapter ten: Decem

"No!" Pettigrew had fallen to his knees with a helpless look on his face, watching Sirius embrace his daughter and Remus letting him. "Sirius- it's me... it's Peter... your friend. You wouldn't..."

Sirius backed away he and Hermione away from where Peter was desperately grabbing at his robes, before moving to Remus. He looked up in begging. "Remus! You don't believe this... wouldn't Sirius have told you? His husband?"

Remus looked very cool, his expression not giving anything away. "Not if he thought I was the spy," he said quietly. "I assume..."

"No," Sirius said vehemently. "I would never believe that of you. You were so preoccupied with Hermione, she had been sick, I didn't want to worry you. I-I thought they might use you against me and..."

And he'd have given them up. If choice was keeping James and Lily safe or Remus and Hermione dying, he'd had told them where they were in a heartbeat. He was a coward in his own right. He hadn't told Remus because he hadn't wanted to admit it. Hadn't wanted Remus to be disappointed in him the way Sirius was in himself. Somehow, without Sirius saying this out loud, Remus seemed to understand with a softening to his face and a nod.

"Shall we kill him together then?" Sirius asked, clearing his throat and looking back to Peter.

Remus began rolling his sleeves up methodically. Hermione had seen him do this many times over the school year, but none of them had seemed so frightening. "Yes, I think so."

In last ditch efforts, Peter turned to Ron. "Ron... haven't I been a good friend... a good pet? You won't let them kill me..."

"I let you sleep in my _bed_ ," Ron said with a face of utter revulsion.

Peter turned to Hermione, crawling to grovel at her feet. "Sweet girl... clever girl...you-you won't let them... help me..."

"How dare you talk to our daughter," Sirius snarled, pulling her to him and kicking Peter away. Being kicked away put Harry in his view.

"Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..."

At that, Hermione decided they hadn't seen Sirius enraged yet- his face going more furious even than when he faced Professor Snape. "HOW DARE YOU TALK TO HARRY? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

Sirius and Remus both strode forward and dragged him away from Harry, throwing him back and making Hermione quickly move out of the way with a squeak. "You sold James and Lily to Voldemort. Do you deny it?"

The rat suddenly burst into tears, sobbing at them. "I didn't mean to. What have I done? What could I have done? The Dark Lord has power... power you couldn't imagine.. he'd have killed me! What could I do?"

"YOU COULD HAVE DIED! YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

"You should have realized," Remus said, calmer than Hermione'd ever heard him say anything, "that if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."

Hermione didn't know what to do, watching her parents face their old friend with their wands- feeling a sick feeling settle in her heart. Harry suddenly ran to them, placing himself between said wands and their target. "NO!" He said, panting lightly. "You can't. I-I don't think Hermione would want her parents to become murderers, and I definitely don't think mine would. We'll take him to the castle... to the dementors... to Azkaban. If anyone deserves that place it's him."

Sirius tried to argue, tried to make him think about what Peter had done. Sirius understood somewhat though. Sirius remembered James and Lily, he doubted Harry had anything out of the odd memory that passed while he was sleeping. And Hermione did look a little sick. He should help her arm, it looked bad and he'd always been better at medical spells than Remus.

"Very well, Harry," Remus said. "Stand aside."

Harry hesitated, giving him an odd look and looking to Hermione for her opinion. "He's just going to tie him up," she said, looking at Remus. "Right."

At Remus' nod, Harry moved aside. Thin cords shot from Remus' wand this time, and Peter was wriggling on the floor- bound and gagged.

"But if you transform," Sirius growled, "we _will_ kill you. Fair?"

Hermione and Harry both nodded, Harry making a point of nodding where Peter could see it. Remus moved towards Ron on the bed. "Right then," he said in a very business like way. "I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madame Pomfrey or the way Lily could, so I think it's best if I just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

As Remus bandaged Ron's foot, Sirius came over to Hermione where she and Harry's heads were bent looking at her arm and whispering to each other.

"It's okay," she was reassuring him. "It's probably not as bad as it looks. I knew I should have looked at healing charms this year. Maybe next year I can-"

"Hermione," Harry interrupted. "I really think maybe you should drop a few of your classes before picking up more. You're already looking as tired as Remus most days. I don't know how-"

Sirius cleared his throat politely to announce his presence, his eyes shifting between the two teenagers suspiciously. Then he lowered his eyes to her wrist; bruised and swollen, though not any worse than it had been before- which was good. Maybe it wasn't broken.

"May I?" He asked hesitantly, not sure how to act around them. Hermione hesitantly held her wrist up for him to look at and made a sharp sound when he touched it. Sirius didn't miss Harry straightening at it, but focused on her arm.

"Hmm," he said, turning it gently. "It seems you've just dislocated it. What happened?"

Hermione started to tell him about the tree, but he took advantage of her distraction to put her wrist back in it's proper place. She let out a sharp cry, grabbing everyone else's attention and making Harry glare at Sirius. Sirius thought he might have to have a conversation with his godson about his daughter, remind him that she is _his_ daughter. Perhaps put the fear of God in him...

"What about Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, glancing over at the man guiltily. He hadn't budged or shifted at all since they disarmed him and she was somewhat worried. What if they really hurt him? What if he had a concussion and slipped into a coma? Would the magical world even know how to treat a coma?

Harry's face scrunched up in distaste. "Let's leave him."

Sirius decided he liked his godson, but Hermione mock glared at him. "Harry! We can't just leave him here! What if he's really hurt?"

"All the more reason to leave him," Sirius said, earning a grin from Harry and another glare from his daughter.

Remus went over to him, bending to check his pulse. "Don't worry, little love. He's alright. Just, perhaps next time you shouldn't be so overenthusiastic. It might be best if we don't revive him until we get to the castle."

Soon they were going down to the tunnel again. Remus had, against Sirius' wishes, volunteered to be chained to Peter to keep him from getting away- as did Ron, limping with his poor, broken leg. Crookshanks lead the way, seeming to be very fond of Sirius. Remus, Pettigrew, and Ron went next- tied together as though ready for a six legged race and trying to walk with some awkwardness. Sirius and Snape went after, Sirius holding the professor up by his own wand and barely resisting the urge to drop him... hard... and repeatedly. Harry and Hermione brought up the rear, Harry glancing out of the corner of his eye to be sure Hermione and her hurt wrist were okay.

"You know what this means," Sirius said to both Harry and Hermione. "Us turning Pettigrew in."

He was free. He had never let himself believe he might be free again. Dream about it, yes. Wish and imagine and long, yes. But never truly believe. But now... he was going to be. He and Remus and Hermione could be a family again.

He knew he and Remus had a lot to think about. A lot to discuss together. But he knew they would be okay. He had faith in them, and despite the serious conversation they were likely to have the once things settled, he knew that they were still solid. He didn't have to worry that they might not be together.

Remus believed in him.

"You're free," Hermione and Harry said together.

"Yes..." Sirius said, looking ahead at Remus- who was glancing back at him in return. Yes. They were still good. They were perfect. "I thought, Hermione, I would understand if you wanted to stay with your family. Remy would too, I know it, but you'd always be more than welcome if you wanted, to come live with us again. Be a family."

Hermione had thought about this, during the year she'd known Remus. She still loved her parents, the ones that raised her, and felt like moving in with her real parents like this would be something of a betrayal.

"I don't know," she said.

Sirius deflated a slight bit, trying to hide it. He knew she wouldn't have. She didn't know him. This morning she'd thought he was a murderer. "I understand," he said, he hoped casually.

"No," she said quickly. "It's not that. I just, I don't want to hurt Mum and Mo. They raised me, and I love them. I would love for you to meet them. I would love for them to know you, the way I want to get to know you. Both of you. I just don't want to hurt them doing it."

"So, you'll come over?" He asked hopefully.

She just smiled her answer as he turned his grin to Harry. For the first time, a real smile, showing the boy she'd seen in the pictures. "And you, Harry. I don't know if anyone's ever told you, but we were named your godparents- Remus and I. And, though like Hermione I would understand if you want to stay with your family, we'd love for you-"

"To live with you?" Harry asked quickly, not believing the turn of luck.

"Again," Sirius said. "I understand if you-"

"I would love to," Harry said. "I would love to leave the Dursley's!"

They were leaving the tunnel now, climbing out of the secret hole. The strange party moved towards the approaching castle, the lights twinkling as they got closer. He was innocent. Hermione'd been right that they had been missing something. Sirius was innocent, and Remus would be happy again. Hermione felt odd that that was what she was happiest about. She'd caught the guilty looks he had anytime Sirius had been mentioned, and she knew he'd never stopped loving him. And now...

An arm stopped Hermione and Harry from going any further and she noticed that the clouds had changed. The clouds had shifted, leaving them bathed in moonlight. Remus had gone rigid, his limbs beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"He didn't take his potion tonight," Hermione whispered, only just now remembering that Professor Snape had gone to give it to him. "He's not safe!"

"Run," Sirius said without hesitation. "Run now, Hermione. Go!"

But Ron was still chained to Pettigrew and Remus, and Hermione was frozen- watching Remus trying to fight it. Sirius shouted, "Leave it to me- RUN!"

There was a snarling, Remus losing his battle that Hermione imagined he always fought. His head was getting longer, so was the rest of him. His shoulders drew forward into a haunch as he clutched at his face with nails that were quickly turning to claws. He reared back, seemingly aware of his company and still disoriented. Hermione had never been more afraid, thinking that for the third time that night, as she watched Sirius transform mid-bound and land near the werewolf...who seemed to recognize him. He nipped at the bearlike dog somewhat playfully, before getting harsher.

"'Mione," Harry said, pointing to Pettigrew. He was going after Remus' dropped wand, before Harry pulled his own out. " _Expelliarmus!_ "

But it was too late, evident by the condescending wave Pettigrew gave them before shrinking into a rat. Hermione could see his balding rat body crawl through the tall grass. She yelled, moving to follow, but Harry stopped her. Moony was standing in their way.

"What's going on?" A sneering voice said, though groggier than they'd ever heard it.

Professor Snape sat up, immediately glaring at Harry and moving to deliver a speech, an insult and a threat- most likely in that order. He was stopped, however, by a growling and the whimpering of an injured dog. He turned, eyes widening and body going rigid at the sight of Remus transformed, and threw his arms out to shield Harry and Hermione.

Sirius tried again, chanting his mantra of freedom as he did so, to turn Moony back. Make him leave the children, even if it was with Snape. Moony was the priority. He attacked again, feeling sorry as he always did when he had to hurt Remus, but he succeeded. The werewolf snarled, cried out, and turned away to follow Padfoot deeper into the forest. Snape, he hoped, would get the children to the castle.

Harry and Hermione rushed to Ron's side, who'd been hit by the burst of light from Remus' wand- picked up by Peter. He was breathing, they could tell that much, with half opened eyes that didn't seem to be able to see or recognize anything.

"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered.

"He's only stunned," Snape answered her, having knelt as well to check on his student. "I don't think I need to remind you how much trouble the three of you are in, but I can assure you, I will take great pleasure in doing so anyway once we are safe inside the castle- where neither of you can run away from me."

The last bit was growled, though Hermione got the feeling he did it out of some obligation to be a tosser than any real anger. She didn't doubt he _was_ angry, but she had the feeling he as a teacher and he as a man- were very different. The pictures of him and Harry's mum, both smiling, said so at least. A yelping brought all three conscious heads up and facing where Remus and Sirius had gone.

He was hurt.

Hermione stood first, making to run towards the sound only to be grabbed by Professor Snape, who was much faster than he looked. She struggled, the whining getting louder and closer together, but he held on.

"No," he said, though not entirely harshly. "There's nothing we can do. We have to get to the castle!"

Harry grabbed her arm, the one without the hurt wrist, and pulled- trying to help her. Hermione struggled as hard as she could, imagining Remus biting Sirius and Sirius not surviving. They just got him. She'd only just found out she was adopted... to lose him now. She had only just found out he was innocent. Harry now had a family that would care for him. She couldn't let him go back to the Dursleys.

She wretched herself out of Professor Snape's grip, only with the luck that Ron stirred to distract him, and ran towards the frightening sound with Harry right next to her. They could hear Professor Snape call for them, but a quick look behind on Harry's part told him that Snape wasn't going to give chase.

The yelping stopped abruptly as they came to a clearing, the lake shore, to find Sirius on all fours, surrounded by dementors. There had to be a hundred of them, Hermione noted in the back of her mind, swirling around the now frozen lake with ease- gliding around their victim as he begged. It broke Hermione's heart, hearing him sound so pathetic- made her sick to her stomach to see her father like this.

 _"_ _Noo,"_ they heard him cry. _"Please... nooo..."_

"Hermione," Harry said behind her. "Hermione you have to think of something happy."

No. They preyed on happy thoughts. That's why they'd been to the game, why Sirius had been safe in Azkaban. No. Bad thoughts... bad thoughts... bad thoughts... her thoughts broke off altogether when a dementor came closer to Sirius, making the man go into something of a frenzy. No. Hermione broke out into a run across the freshly frozen, thinly iced lake. She could hear cracks in the ice behind her, chasing her and threatening her feet that she might fall and with her- Sirius' hope. Her feet were faltering, the cracks and breaks trying to grab her and bring her under.

She didn't know what she was going to do once she was on the other side, knowing the theory behind the patronus, but not the practice.

"HERMIONE!" She heard Harry shout behind her. Dementors drew nearer, making her shiver even more. _Bad thoughts_ , she told herself. _Come on, think._

She remembered being seven, cheating on the only test she ever cheating on, for Muggle maths. She'd been too caught in her book to study for it and do practice maths, and it had always been her secret shame despite not having been caught- especially once she came to Hogwarts and was regarded as something of a know-it-all. She'd never told anyone.

She thought about overhearing her parents the previous summer, fighting loudly and obviously about her. She thought about Draco spatting at her and calling her ' _mudblood'_. Ron calling her a nightmare and the troll trying to kill her. Sending Harry off with the potion their first year, having figured out Professor Snape's logic puzzle and doubting herself. She'd been hysterical, inconsolable, thinking that perhaps she'd been wrong and sent him to his death.

Sirius gave a shudder and rolled over to lay on his back, a dementor leaning over him... his hooded face lowering towards Sirius'. Hermione screamed, reaching his side and trying to make the dementor leave him be. But the creature didn't cease...

 **A/N: I know this chapter is shorter than they usually are, but it seemed a natural breaking point. Boom! Hermione's dead, Sirius Kissed, Harry heartbroken. Believe me? Yeah, me neither. No, obviously she's going to be fine or I wouldn't be continuing this. I hope you like it despite it's shortness.**

 **What do you think of Snape? I'm trying to make him a more... nicer? character. Though, I'm not sure if that's the right word for it. Now, we are on to the hospital wing, etc. I liked the idea of Hermione running and trying to outrun the breaks in the thin ice caused by the dementors even if in the book they're all on the same side of the lake. Oh well. It's fanfiction. Let me know what you guys thought. Perhaps about Sirius' conversation with Harry and Hermione? Hermione's thought? Etc?**

 **-Mia**


	11. Undecim

Chapter eleven: Undecim

Hermione wasn't sure how long it had been before she woke up, blinking her eyes rapidly in the too bright light hanging above her. She was in the hospital wing. Ron was right, she supposed. At least Hogwarts was consistent. It never seemed to fail, the last three years landing them in the hospital wing at the end of the year- and several times in the middle of it.

She could hear voices. One, she knew without a doubt to be Professor Snape. His voice was no longer groggy, but had regained it's ability to be heard in every corner without him having to speak above a whisper. The other voice she'd only heard twice- after her father's exam and outside Hagrid's hut. It was the Minister of Magic, commending Snape on his bravery and heroics. He'd actually used those words, making Hermione blink a few more times in rapid succession trying to think of what he meant. Then she realized they still thought Sirius was guilty. They thought Professor Snape had saved them.

Movement on the next bed over made her look and put her finger to her lips in the universal sign of asking Harry to stay quiet. She felt like something important was about to happen. But it was ruined when Madame Pomfrey came bustling over to them, bringing a chunk of chocolate the size of a small boulder.

"Ah," she said as though surprised, though Hermione thought she probably had wards around their beds which is why she hadn't moved. "You're awake."

"How's Ron?"

"He'll live. As for you two... you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied- what do you think you're doing?"

Hermione and Harry had both sat up, swinging their legs around in synchronization to stand. There was an unspoken understanding that they had to speak to Dumbledore. They had to make sure he knew Sirius was innocent. They had to tell him the real story.

"It's all right. I imagine you've both had a fright. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the Kiss any moment now-"

"WHAT?" Harry quickly, in a bit of a scramble, shoved his glasses on his face and stuffed his wand in his back pocket. Hermione'd already had hers in her hand, that being the first thing she'd done upon opening her eyes.

The doors to the hospital wing opened and Cornelius Fudge entered, followed by Professor Snape who locked eyes with Hermione. He was trying to tell her something, she thought, like he had with Remus' lycanthropy. She frowned as his eyes flashed challengingly... almost playfully.

"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal. Lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled, shocking the Minister. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

Shouting never solved anything, Hermione's mother had always said. It only made you seem more hysterical and others will be less likely to listen to whatever you're trying to say. So she tried to stay very calm.

"Minister," she said as politely and respectfully as possible. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an unregistered Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and..."

"You see, Minister?" Snape interrupted without breaking Hermione's gaze. "Confunded both of them... Black's done a very good job on them..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.

Madame Pomfrey frowned disapprovingly at them all. "Minister, Professor, I must insist you not distress my patients."

Why was Snape here and not Dumbledore? Why wasn't Snape telling them about Sirius saving their lives by leading Remus' wolf away? Was he really so petty? No, she couldn't believe that. He hated Remus, but he still helped Hermione find his quarters her first night back without even giving her detention. He only taught the werewolf lesson _after_ Sirius' first time sneaking into the castle, perhaps because he thought it was Remus helping him into the castle.

Was he... stalling?

As soon as she had that thought, it must have shown on her face because he smirked a small bit. That had to mean he or Dumbledore had a plan. How did they already know? Hermione took a deep breath and snarled.

"Harry, you know why he's saying this about Sirius Black and it has nothing to do with him thinking he's guilty. Snape just can't let go of the past. Rather pathetic, don't you think? I mean, he's supposed to be our teacher."

Both Madame Pomfrey and Fudge gave a squawk of indignation at her disrespectful tone, Harry was looking at her in shock, but Professor Snape- despite his ever present scowl- looked pleased. That's what she was supposed to do.

"You insolent, stupid girl," he spat. "So upset about the sins of your father that you would be ungrateful. Only you and Potter come to this level of stupidity, this level of willful, malicious ignorance. I've saved your life. You shall treat me with the respect I deserve."

Fudge looked startled at both of them. "Now, Snape-"

But Hermione interrupted him to snipe at her professor again. "Once you give me such a reason to respect you, I will. All I see is a little man who is put out that he was attacked by his students. Tell me, in your acceptance speech of your Order of Merlin, will you brag about being bested by a few teenagers? No wonder Dumbledore's kept the Defense Against the Dark Arts position from you."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he opened his mouth to speak, but the doors opened again and Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry, shaking out of watching the most uncharacteristic thing his friend had ever done, pounced.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-"

"For heaven's sake! Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist-"

"My apologies, Poppy," he replied calmly, nodding at Professor Snape. "But I need a word with Miss Lupin and Mr. Potter. I have just been talking to Sirius Black-"

So that was why he hadn't been there. Was that what they were stalling for? For Professor Dumbledore to get the story from Sirius without Fudge's interference? But Professor Snape was still stalling, and it seemed Professor Dumbledore was helping him and letting him until he abruptly repeated himself.

"I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone. Cornelius, Severus, Poppy- please leave us."

It was somewhat amusing that Professor Dumbledore could make anyone do what he wanted, that he could make anyone listen, that he would be the only one that didn't feel compelled to call Fudge 'Minister', and that it would be accepted.

"Headmaster! They need treatment, they need rest, Miss Granger's arm-"

"This cannot wait," he insisted. "I must insist."

Madame Pomfrey, upset to be thrown out of her own ward, pursed her lips and strode to her office- slamming the door. Fudge pulled a gold pocket watch out of his coat to consult, sighing at it as though it told him something unsavory.

"Very well, Dumbledore. The dementors should have arrived by now. I'll go and meet them. I shall see you upstairs."

Dumbledore followed the two men to the door, holding it open for them. Fudge went through first, stopping to wait for Professor Snape so they could finish their conversation. Snape looked at the Minister and then back to Dumbledore.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" He whispered loudly, though not so loudly it would be obvious if one didn't know him. No doubt Fudge thought he was _'accidentally'_ overhearing. "Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen. You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

Fudge, whose face Hermione could see, looked sympathetic. Dumbledore looked guarded, as always. "My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus."

Dumbledore wouldn't listen when Harry launched into the story of Sirius and the true Secret-Keeper, holding his hand up to stop their jumbled explanations.

"It is your turn to listen," he said. "There is no shred of proof to correspond with your story. While I might believe you, the word of two adults and three thirteen year olds will do little to convince anyone- particularly when the truth threatens quite a few people in the Ministry, one of which being our Minister. Do you see? Whether they know the truth or not, they will spin their own tale. I believe you two have had experience in such things."

Once again, he cut them off when they tried to help... explain... suggest... "Professor McGonagall is, as we speak, trying to get a hold of someone I know to be trustworthy and fair. She will listen to the story with a clear and unbiased mind before making a judgment. However, as you heard, Cornelius is gone to speak with the dementors already." He turned his clear blue eyes to Hermione. "What we need... is more _time_."

Hermione's own eyes widened. The time turner.

"Now, pay attention." Hermione pulled a self-inking quill out of her hair, making Harry blink at it confused for a second, as she poised it at her arm- ready to copy anything Dumbledore said. "Your father is in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more that one innocent life tonight."

Hermione marked everything on her arm, chanting it in her head like a mantra to remember. Buckbeak was the only other one she could think of that they could help.

"I'm going to lock you in, Miss Lupin. It is," he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it, and remember. _You must not be seen._ "

Hermione pulled the chain from under her torn jumper. Harry was looking around, asking her what was going on, but they had to hurry. Three turns... three turns... she could do this. She grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him to her so she could wrap the chain around his neck as well.

"What are we doing?" He asked, watching her flick the dial three times.

She felt the familiar sensation, the familiar feeling that she'd been experiencing all year. Blurs of color rushed past them before the flying stopped suddenly and Hermione's feet felt firm ground once more, the two of them planted in the Entrance Hall- deserted and bathed in golden light as opposed to the silver from that night.

Nine. What were they doing at nine? They'd been going down to Hagrid's, so they'd be coming this way. Hermione grabbed Harry and pulled him into the old broom closet that she'd been using for such things.

"What- how- Hermione, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," she absentmindedly told him in a whisper, trying to press her ear to the door in hopes of hearing something. "Three hours back."

"But-"

"Shh!" She said sharply, waving her hand at him somewhat rudely. "Listen. Someone's coming! I think- I think it might be us... Yes, footsteps down the hall. I think it's us going to Hagrid's."

Harry's eyes, she couldn't explain how she could see them in the dark, widened. "Are you," he whispered back, shrill. "Are you telling me that we're here in this cupboard, but we're out there too?"

Hermione didn't answer, listening intently to the faint footsteps echo and trail farther away. She turned back to Harry and sat on a turned over bucket, one she used when the hall was crowded. "It's called a Time Turner," she whispered. "Professor McGonagall gave it to me on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to my classes. She made me swear not to tell anyone. I don't even think any of the other teachers know except for she, Papa, and Professor Dumbledore. Papa gave me a watch so I could keep up with my timing."

"So, there must be something this early he wants us to change... more than one innocent life can be spared. We can ride Buckbeak to the window to get Sirius!"

Ride? As in... _ride?_ Flying? No. Hermione didn't fly. Hermione didn't do heights of any fashion outside of looking out of a tower where she knew she was perfectly safe, thank you very much. But she nodded anyway, thinking about how they were going to do this.

"If we get back without being seen it will be a miracle," she groaned.

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we? For Sirius?" He took her spot of listening at the door. "I don't hear anyone. Come on."

And he grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him out the door before she could answer. "We should go down to the greenhouses," she said, following him out. "If we don't, we might see us from Hagrid's."

The two went down to the greenhouses, hiding among boulder sized cabbages and other assorted things, before moving around to get to Hagrid's from the back. It was odd, hearing her own voice. Generally she didn't have to worry about that, staying on the other side of the school from herself, Harry, and Ron. They could see the nervous hippogriff, no doubt having picked up on Hagrid's emotions, tethered in the half giant's pumpkin patch.

"Now?" Harry asked, in a ready stance to approach the proud creature.

"No. If we let him go now, the Committee people will think Hagrid set him free. We have to wait until they've seen him."

He groaned. "That barely gives us a sixty second window."

There was a crash inside the hut. "That'll be Hagrid breaking the milk jug. I'll find Scabbers in a moment-"

She was interrupted by her own shriek of surprise and Harry got a strange look on his face. "What if we just go in and grab Pettigrew-"

"No!" She said firmly and slight terrified. Harry was just the sort of person to suggest it. "Don't you understand? We're already breaking Wizarding Law; one of the most important. Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen-"

"It would only be us and Hagrid, I think that's trustworthy enough."

"Harry, what do you think you would do if you saw yourself bursting through the door? You'd think you'd gone mad! You'd think there were Dark Magic involved. You'd attack yourself, and I know it. I know you. Nasty things happen to wizards who mess with time, Harry."

It was odd, hiding behind a tree and watching themselves with Ron, leave Hagrid's through the back door as Dumbledore, Fudge, and MacNair stood at the front waiting to be let in. This time though, with their past selves walking up the hill towards the school, they could hear what was being said inside the hut. Harry cautiously stepped towards the hippogriff

" _It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown..."_

Hermione held her breath, watching Harry bow. There was a moment of hesitation, before Buckbeak returned it and Harry began to untie the knot keeping him to the ring.

 _"_ _... sentenced to an execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden MacNair..."_

She could tell Harry was muttering to the hippogriff, but couldn't make out what he was saying as the hippogriff refused to budge. Twice, Harry pulled on the rope hard and he didn't move. They were coming outside now, Hagrid and Dumbledore and the Committee person. Buckbeak wasn't having it. " _Buckbeak, move."_

Buckbeak stood, ruffling his feathers irritably and following Harry in something of a huff that actually reminded Hermione a bit of Malfoy. Maybe if he was to be an Animagus he'd be a hippogriff... or a peacock.

 _"_ _Wait a moment, MacNair,"_ they heard Dumbledore say inside. _"You need to sign too."_

"Hurry!" She whispered, her face white as she watched Harry pull Buckbeak toward the tree line. Into the woods, and they were safe. Once they were in the forest, she grabbed the rope to add her strength to Harry's- making him walk faster.

"Wait," Harry whispered. "They'll hear us."

They could hear the back door open with a bang, Hermione, Harry, and even Buckbeak listening intently to what happened. There was silence... no doubt astonished silence.

"Where is it?" A voice roared. It had to be MacNair, the only one she hadn't heard. "It was right here! I saw it! Jus' now!"

"How extraordinary," Professor Dumbledore's voice said, with no small amount of amusement.

There was the swishing sound, and the thud of the axe. The executioner seeming to have hit the fence in anger. Then came Hagrid's familiar sobs... happy ones that she and Harry weren't quite accustomed to hearing.

"Clever boy, Beaky! He musta pulled himself free. Bless his little beak, he's gone!" Buckbeak pulled at the ropes, attempting to get back to Hagrid. They both had to pull with all their weight to keep him back, waiting for the snap of the door and silence once again.

"Now what?" Harry whispered.

Well, Hermione thought, they'd definitely have to wait until Dumbledore and the Committee went back to the castle before flying to get Sirius... but even then, he wouldn't be there for hours. They'd have to wait until Dumbledore left Sirius, after hearing the story, otherwise he wouldn't have told them to go back and save him and Sirius would be Kissed. That didn't leave them long to get him out until Professor McGonagall got a hold of whoever she was looking for.

"Then we'll have to be able to see the Whomping Willow," Harry said, looking somewhat excited. She was afraid to ask what he was thinking to be so excited about.

"Alright," she said cautiously. "But remember what Dumbledore said, we can't be seen. And we can't change anything. It has to happen exactly as it did... minus Buckbeak and Sirius."

They moved around the edge of the forest, Buckbeak not fighting or resisting so much as he fumbled behind them. The sun was setting fast, threatening to swallow them as they toed the tree line. Hermione could hear the past them moving, their feet stepping on grass under the Invisibility Cloak. They could hear some sort of struggle, a scuff, trouble.

"There's Ron!" Harry said.

There was a darker figure running across the grass, two other forms running after it- past Hermione and Harry following their friend in worry. Hermione cringed, watching the three of them run towards the Whomping Willow... Ron diving for his man-rat. And then Sirius.

Hermione could hear the shrieks and cries as the two of them dodged the creaking and lashing lower branches. Until the tree froze as Crookshanks hit the knob. When they disappeared into the tunnel, the tree began to move again and Dumbledore's group (the Minister, MacNair, himself, and a representative from the Committee) began their trip back to the castle.

"Right after we'd gone?" Hermione asked. "What are the odds are that? If only he'd gone with us!"

"But Fudge and MacNair would have come too," Harry pointed out bitterly, surprising Hermione with his dark tone- glaring after the men he mentioned. "I bet he'd tell MacNair to murder Sirius on sight."

The two sat down, ready to wait for themselves to leave again, as they saw a new person approach- his pace both leisure and urgent. Harry opened his mouth to mention it, tell her it was Remus, but Hermione clamped her hand over his mouth to stop him- making him let out a muffled sound. Remus stopped, his head snapping to their direction before he finally descended into the tunnel.

"It's the full moon," she reminded in a whisper once he was gone. "His hearing is even more heightened than it usually is. If the wind was different, he'd have smelled us and came over."

Harry nodded in understanding. "If only he'd grabbed the cloak. It's just lying there... If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape'd never be able to get it..."

"No," Hermione scolded again. "We mustn't be seen! Besides, I think Snape might have actually been helping me. He helped me find Papa's chambers that first night, and he helped me about your broom and my book, and..."

She almost told Harry about the picture of Professor Snape and Harry's mother, but stopped herself. She hadn't even brought the pictures up to the man himself. There had to be a reason he hadn't talked to Harry about Lily. Hermione thought about the hatred Snape had for James and thought that might be why he didn't come to Harry. Maybe he and Lily stopped being friends because she married James. Hermione would be angry if Harry married someone like Malfoy. She'd be heartbroken...

Hagrid began walking to the castle, staggering a bit and singing to himself- tuneless and his volume wavering between too quiet to hear and loud enough for Hogsmeade to sing along. Buckbeak tried once again to get away, trying to get back to Hagrid. Harry and Hermione both had to tighten their grip on the rope. Hagrid shut the castle doors behind him and Buckbeak drooped.

Two minutes later, the doors flew open and Professor Snape came running out of it- looking quite distressed and more worried than she'd ever seen him. He skidded to a stop near the tree, bending down to pick up the discarded cloak and looking around wildly for them. He grabbed the same branch Remus had and prodded the knob with it.

"So that's it," Hermione said once he was gone as well. "We're all down there. We just have to wait for us to come back, and Papa will turn, and we'll save Sirius."

"Is that what you're calling him?" Harry asked gently, sitting next to her close- both shivering somewhat.

Hermione shrugged. She wasn't sure what to call him. It hadn't taken her long to call Remus 'Papa', even though he was the one to give her up, but the circumstances had been different then. With Sirius, she wasn't sure. She somehow, if it made any sense, felt closer to Sirius than Remus. Maybe it was the time she'd spent researching him and her family on that side, trying to figure out what she was missing. Maybe it was because of all the things Remus told her she did that reminded him of the fugitive. He'd finally told her about Sirius disliking tea, choosing instead to get plain lemon wedges- how Remus hated lemon and always gave his to Sirius. Maybe she felt closer to him... because she didn't know him.

"I don't know," she told Harry quietly, remembering that he was waiting for an answer. "It feels so much different with him."

"Maybe that's just because of how fast everything's happened. You found out he was innocent, then an hour or two later you're trying to save him from being Kissed. It doesn't leave much time to think about how you feel about things. You've had all year with Professor Lupin to get to know him and figure out how you felt about him and learning you were adopted."

Hermione stared at him, feeling- for a moment- that she didn't truly know her friend. But, he only ever seemed to be so mature and understanding when it came to her... and that made her smile. She leaned on his shoulder and lay her head on it, waiting for them to come out into the moonlight.

* * *

Just over an hour later the hole opened and the strange group awkwardly climbed out. They both stood, ready to move if needed and watch the scene play out from the sidelines. They waited anxiously for the cloud to move, for the moon to shine, for the wolf to emerge from its prison. They mustn't be seen.

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew get away again?" Harry demanded.

Hermione glared and snapped at him. "Do you think I like it anymore than you do? He betrayed _my_ parents too, Harry. And anyway, how are we going to find a rat in the dark when he's spent the last twelve years in hiding?"

The moon slid out from its cloud, and Remus from his mind. The transformation was just as hard to watch as it was the first time, making Hermione look away. It didn't stop her from hearing the cries of surprise and pain that turned to howls.

"We have to move," Harry said quietly, with a sense of urgency.

"No," she said, still not looking. "We can't interfere-"

"Not interfere," he told her hurriedly. "He's coming this way!"

Hermione snapped her eyes up to find Remus starting towards the woods where she and Harry stood. Her eyes widened and she turned with Harry to rush away, pulling Buckbeak with them. The hippogriff seemed to understand the danger and didn't fight, threatening to outrun them.

"Hagrid's," Harry panted. "No one's there."

She didn't speak, running and resisting the urge to look behind her. They could see the light through Hagrid's window still lit and waiting for his return. They were almost there, passing through the pumpkin patch again and admittedly trampling a few of his impressive vegetables. Were pumpkins a vegetable? She wondered vaguely as she almost slammed into the door, quickly opening it and lunging inside with Harry and Buckbeak. Fang barked loudly at the intrusion.

"Shh, Fang. It's just us."

Harry looked out the window, trying to make anything out. It was near impossible with the light on inside and the darkness out. "We need to get back out there," he said after a few minutes. "We can't know when to get Sirius by staying here. We don't know when Hagrid will be back."

"I guess," she said. "What happened after I went to Sirius? I-I don't remember."

They opened the door and went back outside, giving Fang a pat on their way out. Hermione could practically feel their time running out, the time getting closer. Harry didn't answer immediately.

"More dementors came," he said quietly. "It was, I don't think I've ever imagined there _could_ be so many. I tried to run around the lake inlet. You- what were you thinking- running across it like that?"

She looked down at their feet, realizing that was where they were subconsciously going. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just knew I had to get to him. I, wasn't thinking at all."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, well. It was scary, seeing you do that. And then you just collapsed next to Sirius and I thought- I tried to think of something happy. And I thought about Sirius asking me to stay with you guys. Well, I know you aren't-"

"I understand your meaning," she interjected.

"Well, it was the happiest thought I could think of outside of a dream. Thinking that I won't have to go back to the Dursley's, that you and I might get to spend summers together, that you get your family... and it just happened."

"What happened," she asked, barely above a whisper.

"It was a stag. I've only ever been able to make a sort of mist or something, but this time it was a real one. A stag. Do you remember Lupin and Sirius calling my dad 'Prongs'? I-I think he might have been one too."

They reached the lake shore, watching from a safe distance as Hermione threw herself at Sirius' side- waving her arms wildly and desperately to get rid of the dementors. Buckbeak next to them was going mad, shrieking and pulling at the rope to get away. But Harry was running around the line of water, pulling his wand out.

And Prongs ran again.

* * *

Professor Snape came soon after the dementors were gone, as Harry was collapsing purely on magical exhaustion and delayed effects from the monsters. He looked at the scene, his eyes straying back to the last traces of broken ice on the lake's surface. He conjured stretchers, gently- or not so gently on Sirius' part- placing the three on them to take back to the castle. Hermione smiled at the gestures, though it was obviously necessary.

"It's nearly time," Hermione said, glancing to the watch on her wrist. "We've got about forty five minutes until Dumbledore locks us in. We've got to wait for him to leave Flitwick's office, save Sirius, hide him momentarily, and get back to the hospital wing before we're missed."

"Where are we going to put him?" Harry asked.

They were nearing the castle, staying in the forest and keeping watch. "I don't know," she said. "Somewhere close for when Dumbledore's friend gets here. And I don't think we should tell anyone until we know they'll listen and believe us. It wouldn't do to save him and have her not believe us, getting him Kissed anyway."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Think about how funny it would be to keep him in Snape's office."

" _Professor_ Snape," she corrected automatically. "And that's cruel, on both parts. Though, it's the last place they'd think to look. But if it doesn't work, we'd have to get him out of there before Professor Snape got back."

"Look," Harry pointed to someone coming out of the school. "It's MacNair. He's gone for the dementors! This is it-"

Hermione, quick to fight the ball of anxiety, put her hands on Buckbeak's back with Harry giving her a leg up and mounting in front of her. She cautiously, looking longingly at the ground, put her hands on Harry's sides.

"Ready?" He whispered.

No. But she was a Gryffindor. "Yes."

He nudged Buckbeak's sides with his heels and they were suddenly soaring straight up into the air. Hermione didn't notice her grip on Harry tightening almost painfully, and he was too much of a gentleman to say anything about it.

They were gliding through, around to the West Tower- powered by Buckbeak's powerful wings. Counting windows. Harry pulled Buckbeak into a hover, the wings flapping and sending them up and down a few feet to keep airborne. Sirius had come to the window, jaw dropped and eyes widened in shock and pride.

" _Alohomora!_ " Hermione said, pointing her wand to the locked window.

It clicked open and Sirius stared at the hippogriff weakly. "How- how did you-"

"Get on," Harry said, tightening his grip and trying to hold him as steady as possible. "We haven't much time. The dementors are coming now, but Dumbledore's got a plan."

"He always does," Sirius said, a grin starting to form as he climbed up to the window. His hands were on either side and he was looking at them with a spark of life and mischief, a spark Hermione realized he probably had as a child.

He was able to heave himself out, throwing a leg over the animal and settling behind Hermione- trying to resist the urge to hug her. He knew she was his daughter. He'd known from first sight when he'd reached Hogwarts. But, this was his daughter. This, she and Harry saving him with a hippogriff, was nothing short of awe-inspiring and amazing... and he had no idea how they'd done it. And he had the thought of his own past with James. This was his daughter... and maybe if this was how his and James' children were going on... they would never truly be gone.

Then she cringed and tried to bury her face in Harry's back as they flew, and he was reminded that she was Remus' as well.

They came to another window, Hermione having thought in her head and counted the nearest window to Snape's office. The dungeons didn't have any windows and Buckbeak was able to land before they climbed through it, tethered in place by Hermione- out of sight by anyone.

"What are we doing in the dungeons?" Sirius asked, looking around.

"Snape is with Fudge," Harry answered. "We're hiding you in his office."

" _Professor_ Snape," Hermione corrected as she looked around the corner to make sure they were in the clear.

Sirius smiled, remembering all the times Remus had done the same thing for the professors- only known as their last names. Though, Sirius had noted that Remus never called Filch 'Mister'. Then he realized what they were saying.

"Am I hiding there because he's away, because it's the last place they would look, or for irony."

"The second one."

"Irony."

Hermione and Harry answered differently at the same time, and Hermione turned to mock glare at Harry before they moved. Hermione hoped his office wasn't locked, or at least not locked with something beyond Alohomora's capabilities. But as they approached the office, and her hand touched the door knob, it opened with ease.

"Alright," she said. "Go on, and stay here until we come for you."

"And don't answer the door for anyone else," Harry added unnecessarily.

Hermione looked down at her watch. "Harry, we have five minutes to get there."

She pulled Harry out with her, shutting the door firmly with a locking spell behind them. Sirius was left looking around the dark room and trying to remember any muggle pranks, categorizing his supplies.

 **A/N: Okay, let me address a few things. I know I didn't add the bit of HArry thinking he'd seen his father cast the patronus because, in all honesty, I just never bought that. I mean, he's always told how much he and his dad look nearly EXACTLY ALIKE, and his dad is dead. Even being Harry the way he is, I don't see it. Also, if you didn't notice, this isn't canon and with the change of other things- the scene changed and that was no longer right to put there.**

 **Also, Dumbledore didn't fight hard enough- in my opinion- to get Sirius free. Plus, I always thought he always knew Sirius was innocent because he accepted their story way too easily. He just needed Harry to be raised by the Dursleys so he could have his hero. Meh. Anyway. In my story, while in canon he'd known he would fail at getting him free, in this Sirius has a family. So even thought Dumbledore might think it a lost cause, he's willing to try.**

 **Sirius wouldn't be Sirius if he didn't do** ** _something_** **to Snape's office. What do you think of my changes?**

 **Dasvidanya, Mia**

 **P.S. Please thank Luna's Magic for what happens to Sirius. I loved her idea and I'm glad she gave it.**


	12. Duodecim

Chapter twelve: Duodecim

Harry and Hermione ran as fast as they could through corridors, past surprised portraits, and barely stopping to be sure no one was ahead. Hermione was thankful they at least paused, however slightly they did, as they nearly ran into Fudge and Professor Snape talking.

"What was that," Fudge asked curiously, cutting off their conversation about dementors.

Hermione noticed that Snape didn't answer immediately, likely looking towards where they were. Hermione had grabbed Harry and pulled him flush against the wall to keep from being caught as soon as she'd heard there were people. She hated to admit that they could have used the Marauders Map here.

"I don't know," Professor Snape said suddenly. "Perhaps a ghost. You attended Hogwarts, Minster. I believe you'll remember a particularly unsavory poltergeist by the name of Peeves?"

Fudge made a sound of distaste and Hermione could see him grimace when she peeked around the corner. He glanced around the ceiling of the corridor as though expecting the annoying ghost to come out any moment.

"Yes, well, I suppose we should head on to it. Those poor children."

Professor Snape turned as he and the Minister walked away, catching eyes with Hermione and motioning down a separate hallway with his head. One she knew from the past year as a short cut to the hospital wing. "Yes," he echoed the Minister. "Poor children..."

Hermione felt like she would definitely confront him about his odd behavior once all of this was over, but she pulled Harry down the way he'd suggested. They ran again, hoping they wouldn't come across any wandering students. Hoping there would be no patrolling teachers.

"Quick," she huffed, glancing at her watch as they went. "One minute."

"I can hear Dumbledore."

They slowed when they reached the corridor that lead to the hospital wing entrance. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared. They could hear him telling them that he was going to lock them in before running forward. He turned to them, smiling that they were back on time.

"Well?" He asked lowly.

"We did it!" Harry said breathlessly. "Sirius is safe until your friend gets here."

Dumbledore nodded, not commenting on the fact that Harry hadn't said where. "And she should be here any moment. Professor McGonagall is using my Floo as we speak to contact Amelia Bones. She is the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and a very formidable woman in her own right."

He paused and lifted his head slightly as though listening for something. "I think, yes, I think you've gone too. You'd better get in your beds. No doubt Severus will come in if Miss Bones is not here yet."

Hermione and Harry went into the hospital wing, empty aside from the still unconscious Ron- his leg in a cast sort of thing to keep him from moving it in his sleep. Dumbledore shut the door and they heard the lock click, creeping back to their beds.

"Your arm," Harry said.

Her jumper sleeve was still rolled up and her writing was visible. Hermione grimaced and licked a long strip over the ink, blurring the evidence and pulling her sleeve down. A moment later, Madame Pomfrey came back out of her office.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She was obviously a little upset, so neither of them argued against the chocolate and they each took a large chunk to nibble off of. They were only waiting, after all, and Dumbledore had promised they wouldn't be for long. Then, they heard a distant roar of fury. Hermione immediately knew it would be Professor Snape, coming to stall some more, and she tried to tell Harry so in an expression.

"What was that?" Madame Pomfrey asked in alarm.

They could hear angry voices getting closer, growing louder, and Hermione subtly sat up straighter in anticipation. They could hear what they were saying now, over the indignant Madame Pomfrey who was afraid the loud shouts would wake up Ron.

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out-"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE! YOU CAN'T APPARATE _OR_ DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH POTTER!"

Hermione's first reaction was surprise that he'd read Hogwarts: A History. Her second was wonder at how well he was acting... _hoping_ he was just acting.

BAM.

The doors of the hospital wing slammed open and Fudge, Professor Snape, and Headmaster Dumbledore came striding into the room. Dumbledore looked amused, as though he were enjoying himself quite thoroughly. Fudge looked angry. But only the smirk in Professor Snape's black eyes kept Hermione from believing he was furious, and somewhat dangerous.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" He bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Hermione was very careful to control her facial expression, widening her eyes innocently in a way that would remind them all of Remus. "Professor?" She asked. "Are you alright? You seem quite distressed."

There was a muffled cough from Dumbledore, and Snape's face reddened. He opened his mouth to shout again, when a throat cleared at the doors that were still hanging open. Professor McGonagall stood there watching with a disapproving look. Beside her was a woman with a square jaw, blonde and gray hair, and a very serious expression that told one that she was not to be trifled with. Next to her was a tall, dark man in dark blue robes.

"Amelia? Shacklebolt?" Fudge asked. "What are you doing here?"

So this was Amelia Bones. She looked just barely at the Minister, and Hermione got the very distinct impression that she wasn't impressed. She looked at she and Harry. "I was told there was some confusion about the events of tonight. Naturally, I've come to sort it out."

Fudge waved her off. "Now, Amelia, the children are merely confused. It's been something of an ordeal. Surely you can see that? We must make allowances for these sorts of-"

"Speaking of allowances, Minister," she said, interrupting him and reminding Hermione of Professor McGonagall. "Would you mind allowing me to do my job? The one I've had far longer than you?"

The Minister suddenly looked put out, his face looking disgruntled and much like a scolded child. Madame Bones looked back to Hermione and Harry, stepping up just at the foot of their beds. She didn't say anything, only looking back and forth between them- studying them in a way that made them afraid she could see all of their secrets the way McGonagall seemed to. Her gaze finished on Hermione.

"I understand Black is your father," she said.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Minerva has informed me you are not the sort of person who would lie in this sort of incident just because of that, and I hope she is right. I will talk to you first, and if I think even for a moment that you are lying, I will leave without hearing any more. Am I understood?"

Hermione tried not to shake. She knew she was telling the truth, but what if this person didn't believe the truth? There was far too much of that going on in the Ministry. There was a disbelieving snort from Fudge.

"You're going to ask the daughter of the criminal and a werewolf? And expect it to be the truth? I knew I recognized you from somewhere, girl."

Hermione glared and opened her mouth to say something, but Madame Bones beat her to it. "I seem to remember your own father accused of quite a few unsavory crimes, Minister, or am I mistaken?"

Fudge said nothing else, looking angrier than he had when he heard Sirius Black was missing from Flitwick's office. Madame Bones turned back to Hermione. "If you would be so kind as to speak with me alone? I shall ask Mr. Potter afterwards."

Hermione followed her to a corner of the hospital wing, pulling the curtain and erecting silencing wards. Thankfully, she didn't interrupt Hermione's story- though Hermione left out anything after waking up in the hospital wing. Bones didn't leave in the middle of it. She listened closely to every word, her gaze never faltering through her monocle and making Hermione somewhat nervous. She asked only a few questions, her eyes widening at the part of Sirius and Pettigrew both being unregistered Animagi.

"D-dementors?" She asked at the appropriate part. "The dementors actually tried to attack you and Mr. Potter? And you say this has happened before?"

"At the first Quidditch game of the season," Hermione explained. "He fell nearly fifty feet."

Madame Bones stood up. "I've heard enough," she said, letting the silencing wards fall and tearing the curtain aside. "I need to speak with Mr. Black immediately."

"You can't seriously believe them," Fudge asked, flabbergasted. "They're children."

"I realize this, Minister. Be that as it may, I believe Miss Lupin."

Hermione didn't realize that was who she'd become; Miss Lupin. She thought about it, remembering Dumbledore calling her that a few times. She wasn't sure if she like it or not. She thought she did, but she'd have to hear it a few more times...

"Well," Fudge said stiffly, his lips pursed. "Be that as it may, Black is missing again."

"Let me get this straight," Madame Bones said quietly. "You had him surrounded by hundreds of dementors, and physically brought to you- unconscious and without a wand- and you've somehow lost him?"

Fudge's face went red and he pointed to Harry and Hermione, who was still standing. "Ask them what's happened to him if they know so much."

"Actually," Professor Snape said, calm and collected. "I do believe you'll find him in my office."

Hermione wished she had a camera for the look Fudge gave Snape, of confusion and incredulity. Madame Bones looked over at him, studying him carefully, and nodded.

* * *

Sirius was just adding the finishing touches to his masterpiece when the door knob turned and he whirled around to face whomever it was, hoping it was one of the children. Instead, he found a face he hadn't seen in a long time- since his time as an Auror.

"Amelia," he greeted.

He should have known who Dumbledore would have gone to as soon as Hermione'd said 'fair'. Amelia Bones had a reputation for being fair and reputable. She'd always been like that, even when they were Aurors together. When he'd gone to Azkaban she was on the short list for Head of the DMLE, he was glad to hear she'd got it. She nodded at Sirius- when did she get the monocle?- and stared at him hard.

"Sirius," she greeted in return. "I've just heard a fantastic tale from your daughter. Though not as fantastic, I'm sure, as the tale of how you came to be in Professor Snape's office as opposed to Professor Flitwick's?"

He shrugged, pretending not to be anxiously waiting for her decision. "You know me, Amelia."

"That I do. I take pride in being able to say that I knew you and James both. Let me be the first to say that the story of your betrayal never sat right with me." She stood up straighter, back like iron. "Well then, shall we get to it? Kingsley! Come make note of this..."

* * *

Remus woke with a groan, feeling worse than he had in a long time and trying to lay still. If he lay still, sometimes it didn't hurt so bad. He felt like he'd broken every bone in his body, and essentially he had. Well, he thought to himself. Twenty nine more days.

"Moony?" A quiet voice called. "How are you, love?"

Remus' eyes flashed open as he remembered the night before. Sirius was sitting next to him, holding his hand and looking quite anxious. Remus tried to sit, not being able to find the words to ask what had happened. The last thing he'd remembered was seeing the look of fear on Hermione's face.

"No!" Sirius said. "Don't sit up, you'll hurt yourself. Unfortunately, Madame Pomfrey hasn't warmed up to me anymore than when we were in school. Claims I'm still a bad influence or something."

"I reckon she's right on that front," Remus said through dry, cracked lips.

Sirius reached over and grabbed a glass of water, handing it to Remus. "Here, drink this before you talk. You look like hell."

"What- happened?" Remus gasped out after sipping the water. "You- you're here. Are you-"

"I'm free, love. I'm still not sure how, but Hermione and Harry saved me until Amelia Bones was able to declare me innocent. Peter got away though, but there's a price on his head now."

 _"_ _That will be the Ministry's top priority,"_ Amelia Bones had said. _"We will put his story and picture in all the papers. Of course, we'll be revoking his Order of Merlin."_

 _"_ _What about Harry and Hermione?"_ Sirius had asked, looking at his daughter. _"I know you want to stay with your family, but you need representation in the magical world that they cannot do. And Harry, he's our godson. He shouldn't have to stay with those brutes he lives with now."_

 _"_ _Unfortunately, there's not much we can do about your daughter. That will be something you'll need to discuss with her muggles. On Mr. Potter, however, you do have the right to custody. Though, I cannot in good conscious allow that at the present time. You need to regain your health, make your legal arrangements and so on, and then next summer we will revisit this."_

As Sirius told the story, Remus was able to guess that Hermione had used her Time Turner to do it. He wondered if that was why Dumbledore had given it to her to begin with, but that was impossible. No one could have predicted this year. But if anyone _could_ , it would be him.

"Where is she, is she okay?"

Sirius shushed Remus to be calm. "She's fine. She had a late night though. She's still here in the hospital wing with Harry and their friend- is he a Weasley?"

"Molly's youngest boy," Remus said. "Ronald. She finally got her girl."

"Good for her," Sirius said absently.

Remus looked down at Sirius' hand holding his own. Sirius had had a thorough shower, a check over from Madame Pomfrey, food, and was wearing clothes stolen from Remus' chambers. And now, he knew that he and Remus needed to talk.

"You left our daughter," he said quietly, voicing the one thing he kept coming back to. "She'd lost me, but she needed you- and you just left her."

Remus closed his eyes and turned away. "I didn't know what else to do, Siri. We were young. I hadn't even realized what was going on until Dumbledore came to tell me. I thought you'd gone to James and Lily's and lost track of time. Or maybe there was an Auror emergency. They'd been a regular occurrence at the time, if you remember. Suddenly I have Dumbledore there with Aurors, people you and I had gone to school with, telling me that you'd betrayed us all."

"Did you question it even once," Sirius asked hoarsely. "Did you believe in me even for a moment?"

"Of course I believed in you," Remus said, sharper than he had meant. "I spent nearly a year defending you, trying to write you letters, trying to get in to see you, trying to get you a trial. Kingsley finally took me aside and told me that when they found you, you'd been laughing at the wreckage. He told me how you'd admitting to killing James and Lily. The Ministry had discussed taking Hermione away, and only Dumbledore had been able to convince them that I was innocent. And after the werewolf laws began coming out... I thought that I would rather find her a nice muggle family, than possibly have her brought up in a Wizarding family that would teach her the wrong things."

"Hermione told me last night that her family treated her well- that they were proud of her and loved her no differently. She said that you'd written her a letter?"

Remus nodded, remembering that he'd done violence upon himself to write it. He hadn't been sure what to say, not even sure if her new parents would give it to her. If she would hate him. If he would ever see her again.

"I tried to explain, even a little. I still don't think I did a good job. But she, she sat in the compartment I was in on the train. She, Harry, and Ron. That night she came to my chambers to confront me."

"How long did it take her to get there?" Sirius asked.

Remus told him the same thing he'd told Hermione that night. "Longer than you would have, but not as long as it would have taken me."

Sirius nodded. "I watched she and Harry from a distance. She reads a lot, and she definitely has your fear of heights."

"She doesn't like tea," Remus said. "She only..."

"Likes the lemon," Sirius chorused. "I've forgotten what either tastes like."

Their smiles, small ones created from talking about their daughter, disappeared slowly as the weight of the situation came back. "We'll have to rectify that," Remus said quietly. "If you still want to."

Sirius knew what he was asking. Were they still going to be together? Had the war taken this from them along with Sirius' freedom and James and Lily's lives?

"I love you," Sirius said, looking at Remus careful so that he knew he was telling the truth. "That hasn't changed for me. Now, if it's changed-"

He didn't get through the somewhat teasing sentence when Remus kissed him. "You're stuck with me," he said when they parted, repeating something Sirius had loved to say years ago.

"Watch me struggle to get as far away as I want to be," Sirius said, embracing Remus tightly before Remus groaned in pain. Sirius immediately jumped away from him.

Madame Pomfrey came over, having just checked on the just stirring children. "Honestly," she scolded. "You'd think you two were sixteen again. I'll tell you the same thing I told you then. If you want him out of here and feeling better, you need to let me do my job and not make things worse."

"And I'll tell you the same thing I said then; I see no reason you can't treat him while I'm right here."

"Dad?"

Sirius' head snapped up at the sound of Hermione's voice. He hadn't been called that word in twelve years. Remus patted his hand.

"Go make sure she's okay. I'll be right here."

Sirius nodded and stood to go see her. She was sitting up, looking only half awake and obviously trying not to yawn. Harry was in the next bed over, still asleep. Sirius could see the tuft of his black hair poking out from underneath the blanket. He would almost fear the boy was dead rather than sleeping if it weren't for the very small inhales and exhales he could see, the blanket rising and falling only just.

"Did you sleep at all?" Hermione asked, waking up slowly.

Sirius nodded. "I slept a little bit in the chair next to Remus. I checked on you and Harry a few times though. Did you know you talk in your sleep? You and Harry both do. Remus does the same thing. He and James used to have conversations in their sleep; it was amusing to watch."

Hermione yawned again. "I knew Harry does it, but I never knew about Papa or James. Mum used to tell me she'd swear I was reciting in my sleep."

Then she looked away, realizing she'd mentioned her mother- and called her as such. Sirius nudged her. "Hey, you don't have to avoid talking about them. They raised you, and they seem to have done a wonderful job doing it. They're a part of you, and I can't wait to meet them."

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. I want you to be comfortable with us. I want to get to know the people responsible for taking care of you, and molding you into this girl I see in front of me."

Hermione smiled as Harry stirred and she quickly looked over to him in worry. Harry reached out for his glasses, almost knocking them off before Hermione picked them up and handed them to him. He put them on, sitting up and squinting around. It was alarming how he looked like James. How many times had Sirius seen James do the exact same thing? Then Harry opened his eyes and Lily was looking out through them.

"Morning," Sirius greeted.

Harry frowned, blinking a few more times to get rid of his sleep addled mind. "Sirius! You should be sleeping. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet this morning," Sirius admitted, "but I will. How about you and Hermione eat breakfast with Remus and I?"

Hermione immediately perked up at the sound of that, moving her blanket away as Madame Pomfrey came back from Remus. "Sirius Black! Are you telling my patients to move out of bed before I've given them the okay?"

"Are you still keeping your patients captive long after it's necessary?" Sirius countered.

Madame Pomfrey glared, but Hermione could see the mirth in her eyes. "I do not," she insisted. "I keep them for just the right amount of time."

"Did someone mention breakfast?" Remus' voice came from behind the curtain surrounding his bed.

"Food?" Ron asked next, sitting up in his bed. He'd woken up the night before, long enough for them to tell him everything that had happened and go back to sleep after a few well timed "Bloody Hell"s.

Hermione and Harry both looked to Madame Pomfrey for permission, their eyes pleading. She sighed heavily, glaring some more at Sirius. "I suppose you can all get up, but not you, Remus! If you get out of that bed, I swear to Merlin himself, I'll maim you."

Sirius helped them situate Ron's bed next to Remus' so the five could sit on the two beds and eat breakfast, brought with a Daily Prophet from a house elf. Remus opened the newspaper first, chuckling just slightly at the headline- written in bold capitals.

 _ **SIRIUS BLACK, INNOCENT AND REUNITED WITH HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER!**_

"Why is it, Sirius, that you can never do things simply?" Remus asked teasingly. He handed it to Sirius to look at, who grinned at his own picture on the front page.

"I apologize, Hermione," Sirius said from behind the paper, "if you didn't want it to be known we're your parents. Your name seems to be in here next to ours."

Hermione smiled and shrugged. "I love you both, and I'm not ashamed to have you guys. You're my parents. I don't care who knows."

"THAT SLAG!" Sirius suddenly roared, clutching the paper tightly and ripping it in places by doing so. "I'LL KILL HER!"

Remus looked over, not sure what Sirius read that made him so angry. He'd only read the headline. "What is it, Sirius?"

Sirius, looking utterly disgusted, tossed the paper aside. Harry picked it up and read aloud, " _Sirius Black, now 34, has spent twelve years in Azkaban before his questionable escape last summer. Now, new information has been released that Black might have been innocent! Late last night Amelia Bones, Head for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, declared Black innocent and gave him his freedom from running away. While there are wild rumors of rogue dementors and close escapes, we are sure Black is happy to go back to his family; Remus Lupin, werewolf, and Hermione Granger, previously thought to be muggle-born_."

Harry looked up to everyone else. Sirius was shaking in silent rage and Remus was pale white. "It just goes on about Hermione and Professor Lupin after that."

"Unfortunately, Harry," Remus said quietly. "I don't I'll be your teacher for much longer now. Parents will be reading this- and no one will want a werewolf teaching their children."

"But you're the best teacher we've had!" Ron said loudly, quieting back down.

Sirius scoffed. "Those pureblood hypocrites won't care, they'll condemn anyone who doesn't stick their nose high enough in the air."

Remus looked down at his breakfast. "I don't know," he said. "I agree with them. Last night could have gone a lot differently. I could have bitten any one of you. If Padfoot hadn't been there-"

"But I was. And I always will be."

"That's beside the point," Remus said, waving him off. "The letters will come in tomorrow, some later this afternoon, demanding my leave. After everything that's happened this year, I couldn't expect the headmaster to speak up for me."

Hermione picked at the lemon beside her coffee, in the stead of tea. "But, what about our talks?"

"I'm still going to be around," Remus said. "We're not leaving you. We'll see you over summers and on breaks if you want, but we're lucky I've lasted the whole year as a teacher anyway. We're lucky that no one was hurt last night."

"Besides," Sirius said, working with Remus to pacify Hermione- despite being just as angry with the situation, "Remus and I have house hunting to do. We'll need a three bedroom at least, for when Harry moves in and Hermione comes over. Maybe get Remus a study to put all his books."

"I don't need a study," Remus said exasperatedly. "My books wouldn't fit in it. We need a separate house for the books, and maybe we'd have enough room."

"And that's without mine," Hermione said. "Maybe we could borrow Hogwarts."

Sirius looked terrified, looking over to Remus. "You're a bad influence, you are!"

* * *

People stared at the Trio when they'd finally left the hospital wing, permitted to go back to Gryffindor Tower. Though, it was difficult to separate those stares from because they were back from their annual visit and adventure, or from those who'd read that morning's paper. A few finally came to tell Hermione how happy they were for her and her family, or that they thought Remus was a great teacher and they'd be sad to see him go. She'd thanked each one as she and the boys made their way down to Hagrid's- their last trip until September.

When he opened the door, Hagrid had the biggest grin on his face and his hut smelled of his notorious rock cakes.

"Come in," he said, pulling them in. "Look who's okay!"

In his corner, happily munching on the hard rock cakes, was Buckbeak. Hermione shared a secret smile with Harry, and the three friends pretended to know nothing at all about the mysterious events from the night before.

"Las' night, there was a knock at my door after I'd gone to bed. An' there was Dumbledore, holdin' Beaky's rope. After yeh three left, some how Buckbeak escaped and was missing for a few hours. Dumbledore said he'd found him an' the Ministry had agreed to forget the whole thing! They had other matters. I s'pose you'll be knowin' all about that, eh, 'ermione?"

All three of them passed their exams, despite Hermione not being able to face her dementor. She'd gone to Professor McGonagall, especially after Sirius' reaction as her course load, and dropped Muggle Studies- returning the Time Turner. If she'd had to do another year with it she was sure she'd go barking. Professor Snape glared and fumed anytime he saw Harry still, and mildly glared at Hermione. You see, someone had apparently rigged his favorite chair- that sat in his office- to break when the next person sat in it. Never mind the series of random potions the pranker had found in the office to explode at that moment. No one knew what the potions did, but there were comments that Professor Snape's hair looked shinier and somewhat blue...

The only one who had anything negative to say to Hermione's face about her parents was Draco Malfoy on the last day, though none of them were surprised. He made a snide comment as he, Crabbe, and Goyle walked by about catching fleas from the half breed.

She very politely suggested that he hold his tongue or the next time she struck him, it wouldn't be open handed. The Slytherins hurriedly walked away, climbing into a carriage that would bring them to the train.

Hermione, Harry and Ron each got into the same compartment they'd shared with Remus at the beginning of the year, settling in comfortably as the train began to move. Hermione was watching mountains go by, watching the castle disappear behind them, when Harry exclaimed.

"Hermione! Ron! Look..." He was focused on four separate carvings in the wood beneath the window; small, out of the way, and obviously having been there quite sometime.

 _Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot,_ and _Prongs._

 **A/N: So I hope no one had a problem with how I handled making Sirius free. I honestly wasn't sure how to go about it, so I skipped it rather than make it come out silly. What did you think of Amelia Bones? I thought she was an interesting character in canon, if a bit underused. What did you think of Remus and Sirius' talk? Sirius' prank on Snape? I know this chapter is sort of jumbled and rushed, and I'm sorry about that. We've had some stuff happen and I've been busy.**

 **But! I have a new desk now! I'm not just doing my writing in bed, I actually have a giant L-shaped desk to do it on. And it was free! Craigslist is such a wonderful thing. Too bad we didn't have room for the piano...**

 **Have any of you ever seen Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead? Gary Oldman (Sirius) is so pure in it. I love him so much. Or The Giver? No actors from the Harry Potter series, but it's an amazing movie and I cry every time.**

 **I now own the first three Harry Potter book, even though it is now the fourth that I need to get to help with my story. We're book hunting tomorrow. It's upsetting that there's a book store down the road going out of business and literally everything is fifty cents, but they only had the first two. Apparently someone came in and bought their entire HP section...**

 **Sorry about my rambling, I'm exhausted. Dasvidanya, Mia**


End file.
